[5e] Fighting some wizards in Athkatla

[J-H]

Spoiler: Init

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Phexian 18
Hergolla 16 *blind, repeat saves up to 1 min
Praiodan 15
ice mephit 11 *disadv next attack roll due to mockery
Skroog

Hergolla steps forward, summoning a holy flame to where she last saw the ice mephit.
IM Dex (1d20+1)[4] vs 13, or take 2 damage

The slightly scorched Ice Mephit cackles and slashes at her.
(she's blinded, it was mocked, straight roll) (1d20+3)[19] for (1d4+1)[5] slash and (1d4)[2] cold. hit

Skroog then stabs the mephit (6 damage; you forgot to add +2 dex to damage).

[J-H]

Phexian steps in, and brings down the ice mephit with a blow from his sword. It explodes in a shower of jagged icicles that spray everyone around it.
(1d8)[8] slashing damage, Dex DC 10 half
=>Saves for all except Praiodan

After that, the room fall silent except for the sound of your own movements. You don't hear anything from upstairs or outside; it seems your small battle went unnoticed. The air, however, is filled with strange mists and clouds of dust. The furniture looks undamaged but dirtied, but most of the carpets and rugs on the floor are covered in mud, dust, ice fragments, and other debris, as well as a few splashes of wet blood from your own wounds.

=>What do you do next?

[Pyrophilios]

Praiodan freed his feet and went around the other three, touching them lightly and letting flow a bit of healing light into each of them.
"Alright, time to face the music. We have to hit him hard and fast, bring him down and ideally silence him. A bit of inspiration would also be nice to resist his spells more easily."

Spoiler

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Healing everyone with Lay on Hands for 4 HP each, keeping 4 HP in reserve for emergency revival

Phexian stealth action to scout ahead:

(1d20)[19]+8

Phexian nodded and said: "Let me just take a quick look before we storm in - knowledge is ammunition, you know."

With that, Phexian moved silent like a shadow up the stairs.

[J-H]

There's a closed door at the top of the stairs. You don't see anything suspicious about it or around it.

[Pyrophilios]

Spoiler

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Perception (1d20)[1]+2

Phexian tried to listen at the door, but couldn't hear anything. So he went back down to fetch the other three. Praiodan took point, made sure the others were ready, before he opened the door to rush in.

[J-H]

You rush through the door, finding yourself in a sitting room about 15' wide by 20' long, with the stairs down at one end, and a staircase ascending the other end.

Two doors lead off to one side, apparently taking up the other half of the floor.

A huge golem stands along one wall, dominating the room. Its armored head nearly touches the ceiling, and its thick arms end in outsize fists. It doesn't seem to react to your presence.


The furniture is of moderate quality and doesn't appear to reflect any particular character or style. It is placed so the golem can move to either stairway and squeeze itself through.

Spoiler: Arcana DC 13

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It appears similar to most depictions of Shield Golems that you've seen. It hits hard and can absorb damage taken by its master if nearby. It's very tough

Spoiler: Arcana DC 16

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It may also have a single spell stored in it that it can cast.

=> Party

[Pyrophilios]

Spoiler

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Arcana check

Praiodan (1d20)[9]
Phexian (1d20)[20]+2
With that roll, I'll allow myself to use meta knowledge about these constructs ;)

While Praiodan just stared at the construct, Phexian knew at once what they were dealing with:

"Careful, that's a mecharcano construct. A so called Shield Guardian. Those are very expensive, can take a lot of punishment and deal out likewise. Even worse, a mage with the control amulett can transfer damage he receives to the construct. Worst, he can install a spell in the construct that he can release at any time. We are in for a very bad time if that thing activates. Maybe I can do something to sabotage it. In any case we need to remove the control device from our target, or we'll likely fail in our mission."

[Pyrophilios]

Spoiler

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Perception test from Phexian to find a possible weakpoint (1d20)[19]+2

Thieves Tools test to disable or sabotage it: (1d20)[7]+8

[J-H]

Whatever control runes run it are inside it, inaccessible without removing multiple armor panels. You are aware that most golems are designed with basic self-protection functions to prevent sabotage in case someone tries a tactic outside their programming. Some of these functions include exceptions like "A three year old child hitting you with a hammer is not an attack," but that gets into some pretty complex runic algorithms. Touching it could be risky.

Spoiler

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I don't think WOTC has ever discussed how golem intelligence works, or how they make decisions. My personal take is that they operate off of something akin to computer programming, but with magic granting some degree of flexibility where the creator's will and intent desired it - so they are smarter than a simple undead would be.

[Pyrophilios]

"Hm. It doesn't look like there is an easy way to disable this thing. All we can do now is try to restrain it before it activates and then make sure to disarm the wizard of his control amulett. I hesitate to search the room over there before we haven't secured the guardian."
Phexian reported.

Praiodan meanwhile had brought out a pair of sturdy manacles and gave them to his brother: "Try to restrain it with these - but careful."

Phexian nodded and gave it a try.

Spoiler

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Sleight of hand to put the manacles on the shield guardian without activating it?

(1d20)[2]+6 - if help action is allowed w/ advantage (1d20)[16]

[J-H]

I had to look this one up. 5e manacles explicitly say that they are for small and medium creatures, so the golem's arms are going to be too big.
https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/Manacles#content
I like the idea, though!

[Pyrophilios]

Phexian looked around for anything else to use as a restrain, before removing a coil of rope from his backpack. He also looked for fittings on the wall and ceiling like exposed beams where he could afix the construct.

[J-H]

Your best bet would probably be the doors and doorframes. They appear pretty solid. None of the furniture is bolted down, and anything you can slide, the big golem certainly could. Light is provided by a few magical torches on the walls, but you're familiar with how those are typically attached, and know they aren't enough to support even your own weight.

[Pyrophilios]

Taking also out the pitons, Phexian said: "Give me a boost, I need to hammer them in high. And you two better take position at the door. Once I start hammering, the wizard might come to see what's going on here."

Making a sling out of the manacles, that he carefully placed over the neck of the guardian, he bound the rope to the manacles, took measure and began hammering pitons into the wall behind and above it.
"Take the other rope and bind his feet." Phexian said to the dwarf and began to hammer.

[J-H]

I'll wait to see what Igor has the other two do.

[igordragonian]

Hergolla use Cure wounds on the two other elves if they injured enough.
(Skroog seemed to have only 2 damage so,you can keep two points of lay on hands)

(1d8+4)[3](3)
(1d8+4)[4](4)

----

Hergolla arcana (1d20-1)[6](6)
Skroog Arcana (1d20+4)[13](13)




Skroog offer. "I can make him trip with grease,then we can try to tie him, or at least give us time to pass through"

[Pyrophilios]

"Save your power for the wizard, I've got a bag of ball bearings that can provide similar services." Phexian replied with a smile. Tie him up before he starts to move, that will buy us hopefully some time to deal with its master."
With that, Phexian began to hammer, looping the rope through the pitons and thereby afixing a leash to the guardian.

[igordragonian]

Skroog and Hergolla help if needed

[J-H]

Phexian begins hammering a piton into the stone wall, his hammerblows ringing through the room in a steady rhythm. One piton is most of the way in, and he begins to tie the rope off when the door at the head of the stairs slams open. A man with a short brown beard in an orange robe starts coming downstairs, calling out in an annoyed voice. "Glagwa, have you malfuncti-" His voice stops as he catches sight of the party. The man's eyes widen and his jaw drops.

He stops and starts backing up the stairs as his right hand drops towards a pouch at his waist.

=>Roll initiative!

Rayic Gethras (1d20+2)[3]
Shield Guardian (1d20-1)[14]


The double line above Rayic is the doorway up at the top of the stairs. There's also a wall there. Rayic has partial cover against attacks originating from all squares except H23, I22, and I23. Moving from H22 to H23 involves a 3' high jump onto to the stairs (steep stairs), or you can enter them normally from I23.

[igordragonian]

Intative Hergolla
(1d20)[1](1)


Skroog(1d20+2)[19](19)

[Pyrophilios]

Spoiler

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Ini:
Phexian: (1d20)[13]+7
Praiodan: (1d20)[13]

Phexian uses cunning action Disengage to get away from the shield guardian and flies on his broom through the wizards space to get behind him
followed by a booming blade strike at the wizard

(1d20)[11]+7, damage [roll]2d6[roll]+5+(1d8)[6]

Praiodan
shoves the shield guardian to make him fall prone, opposed by shield guardian (1d20)[9]+4 - Praiodan athletic (1d20)[18]+6

Assuming the tied feet reduce the shield guardian's speed to 0, it should be unable to stand up again until it removes its bindings - and consequently suffer disadvantage on its attacks

Phexian had barely tied the knot when the construct began to move. Instead of climing down, the noble man gripped the broom sticking out of his backpack and let himself fall. But instead of hitting the ground, he zoomed along under the ceiling - over the wizard and landed behind him. He had just enough time to send the tiny spark of magic that he had inherited from his father into his weapon before he struck down with it at the unsuspecting target.

Praiodan meanwhile - as so often - reacted slow. Instead of pulling out his sword, he put both hands behind his shield and shoved as hard as he could against the awakening construct, trying to topple it and make it tangle itself in the ropes slung around it.

[Pyrophilios]

Spoiler

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Managed to botch the formating of the sneak attack dice

(2d6)[5]

[J-H]

Spoiler: Initiative

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Phexian 20
Skroog 19
Shield Guardian 14
Praoidan 13
Rayic 3
Hergolla 1

Phexian darts across the room, successfully landing a blow on Rayic. It doesn't seem to do quite as much damage as it should... and a scratch appears on the shield guardian's chestplate.

=>Skroog

[igordragonian]

Skroog cast Hideouse Laughter at Rayic.



----

Wis save 13 or laugh uncontroably

[J-H]

Rayic wis save (1d20+5)[6]

[J-H]

Rayic collapses to the ground in a fit of laughter. Unable to control himself and incapacitated, there's a brief flare of magic, and you can't see him any more. You can still hear him giggling though, so it sounds like he hasn't moved... but he is invisible.

The shield guardian slams a fist down to break free of the ropes around it. (1d20+4)[22] str check; ropes are not well attached yet, pitons not fully driven in, so vs DC 10. It easily tears them loose, and then attacks Skroog, who just visibly cast a spell affecting its master, if it's free. If not, the second attack roll is another strength check.
(1d20+7)[8] for (2d6+4)[6] bludgeoning damage.

The attack misses by a lot, denting the floorboards
=> Praoidan

[Pyrophilios]

Spoiler

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Ini:
Phexian: [roll0]+7
Praiodan: [roll1]

Phexian uses cunning action Disengage to get away from the shield guardian and flies on his broom through the wizards space to get behind him
followed by a booming blade strike at the wizard

[roll2]+7, damage [roll]2d6[roll]+5+[roll3]

Praiodan
shoves the shield guardian to make him fall prone, opposed by shield guardian [roll4]+4 - Praiodan athletic [roll5]+6

Assuming the tied feet reduce the shield guardian's speed to 0, it should be unable to stand up again until it removes its bindings - and consequently suffer disadvantage on its attacks

Praiodan meanwhile put both hands behind his shield and shoved as hard as he could against the awakened construct, trying to topple it and make it tangle itself in the ropes slung around it.

[J-H]

Praoidan successfully knocks the Shield Guardian off-balance. It wobbles, overcompensates, and crashes to the ground.

Rayic wis save (1d20+5)[22]

The sound of laughing stops.

Spoiler: Init

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Phexian 20
Skroog 19
Shield Guardian 14
Praoidan 13
Rayic 3
Hergolla 1

=>Hergolla then Phexian then Skroog

[igordragonian]

Hergolla run after the direction Rayic's laughter were lastly heard swinging her hammer at him.


Warhammer (disavanatge)
(1d20+5)[15](15)
(1d20+5)[2](2)


Damage(?)
(1d8+3)[1](1)

[Pyrophilios]

Phexian knew just what to do with an invisible person. Diggin in his pack with his free hand, he threw lamp oil at the place where he had heard the wizard.

Spoiler

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If disadvantage:
(1d20)[17]/(1d20)[16]+7, damage (1d8)[5]+5, if crit (1d8)[5]

should disadvantage not apply, I'll also add Sneak Attack damage (2d6)[7] if crit (2d6)[7]