IC: Slums, Sewers and Dark, Dank Dungeons [D&D 3.5] [Eberron]

[Starbuck_II]

"Aren't you worried about the disappearances? Bodies of ratcatchers have been kidnapped as well as garbage workers. Whatever got them might stop your shipment from arriving safely." Cass said concerned.

Did the Toad know about the disappearing men or were the Toads involved. Cass still wasn't sure what the Toads knew.
Too many unknowns in this adventure. Last mission was easy in comparison. You, at least, knew in general the basic situation.
Although, Cass wondered if he could get in on this deal with the Toads, money sure made things easier. Assuming, it was all above board, who knows how illicit these deals were.

[SunsetWaraxe]

The man scoffs as he takes another swig, "My goons are made of sterner stuff than mere rat catchers and garbage men!"

[Starbuck_II]

"I need to get back" Cass says after downing more wine, "my men will worry about me. Thanks for the reminder about the shipment. Don't worry, we will be there on time even if we had to do it drunk, haha" Cass made a bad joke to hopefully make Toad at ease.

Cass wasn't sure what else to say, better go now, than make a mistake.

"Appreciated the wine, it was very nice flavor. Let us do this again maybe after we are rich." Cass says as he bows and starts to walk away

[SunsetWaraxe]

The toad smiles as he holds up the bottle, "To our future fortunes!" He then takes a big swig as he watches Cass leave. The people downstairs seem a bit more lively now, as they are talking and drinking.

Cass makes it outside, rejoining her allies. Together, they head across the street and back into the guild hall. They make their way to the back of the building, and to the trap door, which leads to the sewers. The stench is foul and awful, even from here. The ladder is slick and wet. Aetgexe immediately notices blood on the ladder itself and on the wall behind and beside the ladder. The blood is mostly fresh, not yet having totally dried. The party descends down twenty feet, the ladder dropping the group off into a calf-high trough of pure muck.

Spoiler: DC 10 Fort Save

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For ease of time, I will post the roll code of the fort saves. Add your own modifier to see if you beat a DC 10.

Aetgexe Psyquet [roll0]
Natrax [roll1]
Gomb [roll2]
Fergus Londurak [roll3]
Cass [roll4]

If you fail, you are struck with a sudden onset of vomiting for 1 round, followed by a lingering sense of unease that imposes a -2 penalty to all skill checks until the party leaves the sewers.

At the bottom of the ladder, the adventurers find themselves in a narrow canal. Behind them is a locked portcullis, with no obvious way to lifting it from this end. In the other direction the canal continues down about thirty feet before gently turning to the right. With only one direction to go, the party sallies forward.

The sewer is a foul, loathsomely place. The stench is overwhelming and awful. You try not to peer down as your feet for fear of seeing raw sewage drifting by. Small rats and bugs scurry around, fleeing your unnatural presence.

After walking for five or six minutes, the party manages to find a walkway, which mercifully lets them get out of the filthy water. Following the walkway for another ten or so minutes, the party comes to the edge of a raised walkway that overlooks a thirty foot wide pool of disgusting green-brown water. Across the pool is a staircase that leads to another walkway. The water below looks fairly deep, maybe 10 or so feet, maybe more. A brown liquid flows out of two tubes, which constantly replenishes the pool below.

Spoiler: Pic

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You guys are on the left hands side. Your walkway is raised up about ten feet above the pool. The stairs drop down into the pool, then up to a passage at about the same height as your walk way.

[Starbuck_II]

"Well, this situation is full of crap," Cass joked when he climbed down the ladder before vomiting a little. "I was not ready for this."

"Yes, we are free from the water!" Cass says as they find the walkway.

Spoiler

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What jump or Tumble score would we need to jump to either side?
I would prefer not to walk in more dirty water if possible

Granted, I have +0 to each due to the stench so I'll likely fail lol

[Alhallor]

When it goes down into the sewers Natrax isn't particularly happy about it, the stench is horrendous but he can keep his cool at the Moment, but when his foot sinks in the sewage water… Sweet merciful gods, it's in my shoes! Garbglhfgrewl! After he lost most of his breakfast the young man at least calm downs a bit. His mantle is heavy with sewage water when he finally reaches the walkway but he try's to get his composure back.

When the Party reaches the sewage pool desperation fills his voice. Does anyone thought about getting a rope? I don't know if I can swim through this… Or walk through that if worst comes to worst. Natrax shivers at the thought of that, he could probably hold his breath long enough, but through that sewage water? The thought is horrible.

[Metastachydium]

Gomb descends into the hole perched on Natrax's head, only switching back to Gexe's shoulder when the former leans forward to empty his stomach. I'm so sorry you have to step into that and so glad that I don't! This is one nasty place for sure. he says, although the lucky bird that he is, he doesn't look any worse for wear.

♣

Upon reaching the end of the walkway, Gomb stares intently into the contents of the murky pool. That's ugly for sure. When Natrax asks his question, Gomb hops back over onto his head. I did, in fact. And I could also fly it over to other side. Sole problem is, I'd have to change back into my big bird form for that. The little sparrow ruffles his feathers. Do you really want to do that to me?

Spoiler: Checks!

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Spot: (1d20+6)[22] and Listen: (1d20+6)[16] to see/hear if there's anything lurking nearby.

[SunsetWaraxe]

Spoiler: Cass

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DC 15 Jump, with a running start (which you have the space for)

Spoiler: Gomb

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Thanks in part to your vantage point, your keen eyes clearly spot something fairly large covertly swimming beneath the murky depths...

[Metastachydium]

I mean, I'd really rather not know what walking in… Gomb stops speaking abruptly and freezes, his eyes focused on the smelling liquid before the group. Get away from the edge of the water! There's something moving in the pool and it looks big.

[Ripptor]

Gexe follows the rest of everyone down the bloody ladder, continuing the trail she'd left earlier to check on the Toad across the street... until it disappears into the filth below. The stench is horrendous, no doubt worse than usual due to the lack of garbagemen, but she tells herself it's no different than a owlbear nest before the cubs fledge... She can only hope that's true. Arriving at the cistern with everyone else (and Gomb on her shoulder), she looks across at the far platform and gauges that she can reach before Gomb's warning of the creature below. More rats, perhaps? With Gomb now alert and perched on Natrax, Gexe replies to them both, "Oh, I've always got a bit of rope on me... Let me get over there and see if there's a place to lash it." With an eye to the muck below, she adds, "Keep an eye on that one for me... Just in case?" Backing up the path a bit, Aetgexe gets a running leap across the pit towards the other side!

Spoiler: OoC

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Running Jump, DC 15(?) for 15': (1d20+11)[31]

If she reaches the other side, she'll take out her Rapier, then Search at 20 for any dangers (rat traps?) or anywhere to lash her rope for the others to crawl / climb across.

[Starbuck_II]

Cass tries to ID what the creature Gomb is looking at.
"I can't see for sure what it is, let me peer over the side." Cass says as he scans the ground. Cass cast Dancing Lights right above the water's surface to help vision near that rock in the water in the picture. He creates them into a faint humanoid made of light there.

"Crioti O humon leght.
Maybe it will attack the "human" and we will see what it is?"

Spoiler

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Casting Dancing Lights: form it into a humanoid that glows, make it slowly walk across the water in a random direction 5 ft at a time.
I'm including a -2 from failing stench check in my rolls.

Spot - (1d20-2)[11]
To see it better.

KnowDungeoneering - (1d20+1)[6]
I don't have it trained, but DC 10 will let me know species generally?

[SunsetWaraxe]

Gexe lunges across the chasm and lands deftly on the second stair above the muck. Taking a quick look around, Gexe does not spot any rats or traps but there is a large brazier bolted onto the wall, opposite the stairs. It would likely work for what Gexe has in mind.

Suddenly, the sound of chittering can be heard, faintly at first, but growing louder and louder with each passing heartbeat! The sound of insects running down the hallway, quickly making their way towards Gexe!

Spoiler: OOC

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We are now in initiative! The players go, then the monsters. First to post, is first to go!

I have made a little Spreadsheet Map to make combat a bit easier to visualize.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...it?usp=sharing

Based on the sound, Gexe believes she has a round before the insects round the corner and come into sight.

Spoiler: Cass

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You think you spot the creature at the northern end of the pool but then it slinks back down below the muck. It does not move like a fish would.

[SunsetWaraxe]

Cass summons a glowing humanoid and orders it to begin walking across the water.

As it nears the middle of the pool, a giant, green centipede-like creature BURSTS out of the pool. The creature is ten feet long and covered in hundreds of legs. Its two eyes are on stalks, they menacingly dart about the room spotting everyone within. The ten foot long creature opens its gaping maw and tries to take a bite out of the dancing lights. Finding no purchase, the beast dives back below the water.

[Goaty14]

Fergus, having followed the party into the sewers, grimaces and holds his nose at the stench - an alleyway up top was one thing but this... was something else entirely. "And tae think I've seen everything..." he mutters, hoping not to splash his beard with any of it.

Upon arriving to the room, he remarks "Nae way I'm swimmin' in that. One dip in, and that stench won't get out fer a fortnight, I tell ye!"

In the room now, having seen the sewer-worm (or whatever that abomination was) reveal itself, Fergus instinctively steps back at the sight of it, and looks around the room, hoping for a way across that doesn't involve staining his axe - or even worse - himself, with worm-blood and sewer filth. Regardless, he braces himself near the edge, and draws his axe - just in case that thing tries its luck pulling Fergus in.

Spoiler: OOC

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Useful gear I have includes a 10ft pole, 50ft rope, and some Javelins. Alas, I've forgotten to pack pitons for any hope of climbing around, but as a dwarf, Stonecunning allows me to passively notice things about stone and stonestuff. Here's a search check - can Fergus discern anything useful about the stone down here? (Probably not, but always worth a shot)

Search: (1d20+3)[19]

Additionally, I'm move-action drawing my Waraxe, and standard-action readying an attack at anything that comes out from the water again

[Alhallor]

Natrax is pretty impressed by Gexe's jump, though the sewer monster trying to take a bite out of the dancing lights dampens his mood tremendously… And it seems the beast has seen them too. Well time for some magics after all. The sewage water should give his creature at least some good coverage.

Xerxes, mighty warrior appear!
Your final fight is nowhere near!

A vaguely humanoid shape appears in the sewage water and makes his way towards the creature, taking a swing at it.

Spoiler: Mighty summon!

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Casting Summon Undead I to summon a Human sceleton warrior, that takes a swing at the beast. I guess with Darkvision he can "see" through the water and attack the thing?

Attack: (1d20+1)[8] Crits with 18-20 because he's wielding a probably rusty scimitar.
Damage: (1d6+1)[5]

I haven't included any minuses because he's fighting in sewage water, because I'm not sure what that would be. DM you can of course add that to the final roll.

Xerxes statistics.
HP: 6;
AC: 15
Speed: 30
DR: /5 Bludgeoning
Darkvision of 60 feet
Immunity to Cold
Undead traits.

[Metastachydium]

That's one huge wormcentipede thing. Wonder what it tastes like. Gomb mutters under his breath, before letting out a sigh of resignation. Time to get serious, I'm afraid. He glides off of Natrax's head and lands close beside him. The bird's body begins to expand almost immediately after hitting the ground and it keeps growing until the scout stands tall again in his full five feet glory.

Spoiler: OOC

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Worms exist for birdies to eat them! That's just a well-known fact.
Anyhow, Gomb switches back to hybrid form as a full-round action and is ready to kick hind quarters!

[Ripptor]

Aetgexe watches as the sewer centipede attacks the dancing silhouette before disappearing back below the water, and recognizes the aberration in the brief window it surfaces. "A Carrion Crawler! Dangerous ... It probably paralyzes and drowns it's prey in this pool." Gexe calls out to the others across the sewage, "Beware it's tentacles, they can paralyze you!" As Natrax forms his undead minion, she shivers in disgust before determining that the chittering down the hall is a more pressing matter for the moment. Running up the stairs towards the brazier, she lights her torch and attempts to light the brazier as well, to quickly get as much fire going as she can.

Spoiler: OoC

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Move 15' to J10, Standard to light torch + brazier (using the torch, if possible)

I don't know if the brazier has anything still flammable in it, but that's her best shot at this point! Torch + Buckler in her left, Rapier in her right. Ready to deal some sweet 1d3 fire damage if everything is tiny

[Starbuck_II]

"Well, that sure sounds friendly, maybe we can raise as our mascot after the battle, kidding" Cass jokes.

Cass draws his rapier in case it gets within range to strike and readies an attack.
His Dancing Light still moves randomly 5 ft.

[SunsetWaraxe]

The hidden Carrion Crawler bursts out of the water and partially flops onto the exposed staircase in front of Gexe. The beast rears a tentacle back and tries to slap Aetgexe across the face!

Spoiler: ooc

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Tentacle Attack!
a: (1d20+3)[12]
d: If the tentacle hits, Aetgexe must make a DC 13 Fort Save or else be paralyzed for (2d6)[3] Minutes

The chittering heard from down the tunnel grows louder and louder until three thick, bone-covered, black-furred rats tumble their way into view! Each rat possesses sharp, gnarled teeth that protrude from their mouths menacingly. The eyes of the rats are beat red and bloody. All three look hungry and angry.

[Metastachydium]

Gomb's beady eyes narrow as the creepy centipede creature goes for Aetgexe. Leave Gexe alone, you oversized mealworm! The bird steps out from behind Fergus, and drawing his bow he dances forward to the edge of the platform, releasing an arrow into the the centipede thing. Damn. And look out guys! Now there's a skeleton too! he adds upon noticing Xerxes.

Spoiler: Rolls

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Move to P12.
Attack: (1d20+6)[9] for (1d6+1)[2] and (1d6)[1] skirmish.

[Alhallor]

Natrax goes past Cass and stands on the edge of the platform above the sewers while grasping his symbol of the silver flame. Please, let them stay safe! Xerxes below takes another swing at the sewer beast and then suddenly disappears.

When Natrax reaches his destination he moves his hands while chanting.

Tentacles fill with lead, you feel the coming dread.
Don't be such a fool, We're going to run you through!

And then suddenly thrust them towards the beast, a colorful beam rushing towards the carrion crawler.

It has already killed the skeleton! Jump back Gexe!

Spoiler: OOC

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Immediate Action to activate protection devotion giving everyone a sacred bonus of +2 to they're AC (Gexe is narrowly included) for 1 Minute.

Xerxes mighty swing. Attack: (1d20+1)[12] Crit on 18-20
Damage (1d6+1)[7]

Casting Ray of Enfeeblement against the Carrion Crawler.
Ranged touch attack: (1d20)[18] I'm not sure if it counts as in battle, because when I go with the map I can only see it's back? If it doesn't Count as in battle add another +4.
STRENGHT Damage: (1d6+1)[4] for 2 minutes.

[Ripptor]

The Brazier lit, Aetgexe has just enough time to see the rats round the corner before hearing the Carrion Crawler skitter up the stairs behind her in hot pursuit. Gexe manages not to fall into the brazier at her back dodging a lashing tentacle, looking for an opening as she rapidly realizes she's being cornered alone... I've heard enough stories to know there's no glory in getting paralyzed by a tentacle monster in the sewer... As Gomb fires an arrow and the skeleton harries it from behind, Gexe finds an opening, channeling power through the wand in her hilt to give herself some room to breathe. "Kyaaa!" As the Skeleton dissolves into the sewage, Gexe hears Natrax's warning and dodges away, back past the brazier into the far corner as the monsters start to converge on herself and the swaying light source...

Spoiler: OoC

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Swift: Wand of Critical Strike, +1d6 SA, 2x Crit Range, +4 to Confirm

Standard: (1d20+4)[22] (Crit 15+) for (3d6)[12]
Confirm: (1d20+8)[28] for (1d6)[1]

Once she's done providing flanking to the other melee (if they want):

Move: back 10' with Tumble - (1d20+10)[16] (DC15 to avoid AoOs) to H11, by the brazier and where she can only be surrounded by 3/4 opponents...

[Starbuck_II]

Cass decides he need to try to subdue the rats before they become a problem.
"Rotv ga ta Vlup!"

Cass waves his hands aiming at the rats.

Spoiler

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Since it is a round casting action, I guess it happens at end of turn?
Cass aims sleep at H-14 as the 10 ft burst so the rats would be affected assuming I can see them otherwise as close viable since lowest HD affected first and rats are lowest.
DC 14 Will Negate, affects 4 HD of creatures

I have 3 1st lv spell slot left now? Use charm and sleep so far.

[SunsetWaraxe]

Spoiler: OOC

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Using the old system for this just to speed it up:

(1d20+5)[13] vs. Cass' Sleep Spell (DC 14)

The skeleton attacks the crawler but misses as the hulking monster lunges out of reach. Natrax calls upon his dark knowledge and casts a spell to weaken the abomination. Ategexe slams their weapon into the monster, before tumbling away. Cass casts a sleep spell, which causes the tentacled creature to slump over, snoring loudly.

[Metastachydium]

As his first arrow flies way wide, Gomb immediately nocks another, but before he could so much as pull the bowstring, Cass's mystic might knocks the crawler out cold. Nice job, Cass! the bird comments and slightly tilts his head. Uh… Can I eat it now?
Unsure whether his arrow (or his beak, for that matter) would make the centipede thing get back up, he stays his hand for the time being, but he stays on high alert and keeps his bow ready.

Spoiler: OOC

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Ready action to shoot anything hostile looking that moves into his field of vision (including the crawler if it somehow gets up). Attack prerolled in the OOC thread.

[SunsetWaraxe]

The rats dressed in their bone clothing hustle into the room but are quickly dispatched by Aetgexe and Gomb. The crawler remains asleep.

Spoiler: OOC

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So what do you want to do with the carrion crawler?

[Ripptor]

Aetgexe rolls away into the corner as the Carrion Crawler screeches from her lunge, just before the worm is hit by a pair of spells from the far mages that sap it's strength and consciousness... Turning to the three bone-dressed rats, Gexe and Gomb dispatch the much smaller opponents without issue as the worm sleeps. Gexe and Gomb turn around to finish off the Crawler as well, but the mages shout out to stop the hungry bird and disgusted girl just in time. At their persistence, Gexe ties her silk rope around the base of the hanging metal brazier, tossing the other end to Gomb as they start carefully tying up the large monster... each paralyzing tentacle wrapped to it's body before the next. Gomb flies the rope back and forth over the top of it while Gexe walks around the creature to fastens everything in place. The end result is a worm half-hogtied from it's tentacles up, with it's many feet free to travel up to 10' from the brazier. Leaving the other end of her rope to Gomb, Gexe looks over her work on their hopeful future garbage-disposal... "Will this really be better than just leaving the garbage to keep piling up?" She muses at the others. "We're going to have to keep this a secret from our patrons..."

Spoiler: OoC

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After dispatching the rats, using the remainder of the 2 minutes of the Carrion Crawler's sleep to bind it for later:

• Using up all of her 50' of Silk Rope (+2 Use Rope, Burst DC 24)
• Routine Use Rope check to bind the Carrion Crawler (1 min)
• With Gomb's assistance, DC 27 (10+10+3+2+2) Escape Artist check
• Gexe will leash one end of the Silk Rope to the Brazier (1 Round)
• Gomb can fly around and leash the other end to something else?

Plan will be to come back and retrieve it with two leashes, keeping the monster safely between two of us as we walk it out... Fingers crossed!

And that's our first encounter cleared! Nice job, everyone!

[Metastachydium]

With the rats finished, Gomb stows away his bow and flies over to the other side of the cesspool, eager to take a bite out of the crawler, only stopping upon hearing the protestations of those stuck on the other side of the smelly pit of smelly water. I'm sure it's edible and it looks tasty. he mutters grumpily as he helps Gexe tie up what should be the main course for lunch today.
Done with that, he turns back towards the rats and stares at them inquisitively.

"We're going to have to keep this a secret from our patrons..."

These ones on the other hand could be of interest to Mr. Mung. They look funny, though. Why would a rat put that thing on itself?

Spoiler: OOC

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Here's a Knowledge (dungeoneering) check to see if bone-clad rats ring a bell for Gomb: (1d20+2)[10]
as well as an Aid Another on Gexe's Use Rope: (1d20+4)[15]
As for flying back over, that's something the birdy will definitely do, especially since the others have to get through this side too, so he'll have to fasten his own rope to something over there too.

[Starbuck_II]

"Honestly, I am wondering if we shouldn't sell these to the pie maker. They are probably just the right size for a pie by themselves." Cass says with smile pointing at the rats.

"Not sure, why they wear bones. Seems way too intelligent... Hope carrison crawlers can be domesticated, great potential if we succeed."

[Alhallor]

When the other threat is eliminated, Natrax looks at the Crawler and some uninvited thoughts invade his head. They are so many possibilities… There were always some things that were unusable after he was done making something and that could as well go into the crawler. It's droppings must be quite potent and he could already see some beauiful roses blooming because of some Crawler droppings.

Sorry Gomb but could you wait a moment? I think we can use this one. Gexe could you bind it for a while? I think using this one as a garbage disposer and guardian could work out quite well for us. I mean it seems quite intelligent, perhaps we can train it. Perhaps we would need to find an animal trainer that specializes in exotic pets or something. Gomb is there a chance that you could carry the rest of us over? Natrax looked at the unappealing sewage water and bile already creeped up his throat again in the thought that he needed to wade through that… Or get fully emerged.