Red Hand of Doom 5e IC

[stack]

Beorn takes point, leading the way, shield high.

[Amnestic]

Turning on their mounts, Beorn and Zuri - unable to spend the time or resources treating the city's lord - speed their way out of the square once more, seeking to take the same route and round the corner that the others had taken, out of sight of the archer. Even at their top speed however the roundabout route holds you back from being able to catch up to your comrades in arms. Having lost his prime targets, the party nevertheless hear another twang of his bowstring followed almost immediately by a pained scream of projectile piercing flesh, adding another body to the count. Evidently the assailant doesn't seem concerned about the rapid hoofbeats surrounding the building. The culling of Brindol's 'finest' continues. Even at a distance, the confidence radiating from each piercing arrow seems almost perceptible - a smug, sour honey taste on your tongue.

Inside the building, Gaks, Freya and Trellara enter through the creaking front door, spreading out somewhat, though inside the cramped coffinshop maneuverability is limited. Now inside, you hear mystic chanting from the south-western door, rather than one of the doors immediately to your south, where the mumbling seemed to be coming from before. Yet, still, despite the spellcasting no Red Hand have yet made an appearance to stop you. Freya's footsteps might be muffled, but stealthy the phantom steeds are not. They know that there are intruders, though it seems unlikely they know how many, or your

Spoiler: Map

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Beorn and Zuri are going to arrive next turn - splitting up and going to Jarnaath delayed their entry into the building - though again due to dismounting they'll have little movement to make once they do arrive.

If you're going to start opening doors, do partial turns so I can respond accordingly and you don't miss out on any actions. Alternatively, make your own preparations since your party isn't fully together.

[stack]

Beorn continues on... (not much else to say)

[Xihirli]

"We should not let them continue." Gaks took her role as tank very seriously, opening the next door as well, her bandaged hand pulling the doorknob open.

[DigoDragon]

"We should not let them continue." Gaks took her role as tank very seriously, opening the next door as well, her bandaged hand pulling the doorknob open.

Freya nods to Gaks, and stays out of the door's line of sight (I'm assuming Gaks is opening the door where the chanting is from). She holds onto her staff of storms. A Fog cloud spell comes to mind. Might be useful if this turns out to be an ambush like that one room in the desert crypt with those monks.

[Amnestic]

When Gaks wrenches on the door handle she comes face to face with the creature behind the chanting - a hobgoblin. Or rather four hobgoblins. Or rather still, one hobgoblin's image multiplied four times. They shift positions, moving through each other, making it impossible to discern which of those four you're facing is the 'real' hobgoblin. Gaks recognises him - potentially. Azel or Okal. While most hobgoblins favoured the direct incineration of fire, these twins instead looked towards combination of acid (in Azel's case) and cold (in Okal's case). When combined together the coat of acid would be chilled - frozen to the target's skin, creating a tortuously slow burn of agony on the target. They preferred to kill slowly, but only so long as their enemy was in their grasp.

"Gaakach." He says, with no real hint of surprise, but instead relish, a wicked grin stretching his ugly features, dirty teeth on full display.

[Xihirli]

Gaks hated this guy… he reminded her of everyone else she knew as a kid.
She did not feel that she was at her best to fight him.
"A drel’r magaan duun taagaan ac khraakhaar druun o. Ar’n khruur duun kakhaan duun dor aguuc."

Spoiler: Goblin

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I didn’t have to serve and neither do you. It’s not too late to turn around.

[DigoDragon]

Freya left her goblin language in her other pantaloons, so she remains hidden and keeping watch that they don't get totally surprised by anything from that south door.

[Amnestic]

"And leave our backs exposed? That's your mistake." The vicious hobgoblin replies in perfect Goblinoid. his toothy grin growing evermore as you Gaks hears a door open behind her. Spinning around she sees...nothing, the situation is exactly the same as it was before, the room unchanged. That is until four beams of frigid ice pierce directly through the "door" and reveal it to be an illusion. Though the image remains intact, it's now intangible, partially transparent, and through it you can see the other twin, whose form is likewise shifting between four positions all at once. The first beam skitters off of Gaks' shield, but the force of it knocks her defensive metal away and the other three slam into her chest. Beorn and Zuri arrive into the building just in time to see acid bubbling up from between the floorboards. The pools soon grow, extending upwards into writhing sizzling appendages. Already winded by the boreal blast, Gaks finds her limbs ensnared by the searing acid that already begins to eat away at her armour, burning the skin beneath.

Spoiler: Map

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Gaks takes 33 cold damage from the Scorching Freezing Ray. She then failed her save against Evard's Black Azel's Acid Tentacles, becoming Restrained and taking a further 12 acid damage.

The tentacle area is marked in green. The first time you enter it on a turn, or start your turn there, dex save vs DC13 to avoid damage+restrained. Can use your action to make Strength or Dex check vs DC13 to free yourself. Squares are difficult terrain.

As noted, Left Hob (Azel) summoned the tentacles, Right Hob (Okal) did the cold attack. Both of them have mirror image active.

Rolls because I did this post in the wrong thread:

(1d20+5)[7](1d20+5)[14](2d6)[5]
(1d20+5)[19](2d6)[7]
(1d20+5)[19](2d6)[8]
(1d20+5)[21](2d6)[7]

(2d6)[11]

(1d20+2)[8] vs 13 (3d6)[12]

[Bobthewizard]

Zuri

Zuri summons her fey friends into the room to the south. "Protect us. Kill Gaks' cousins."

The fey spirits appear as the only thing she knows that can fit in that small room, flying snakes, and immediately attack the hobgoblin there, fluttering in and out of his range as they attack.

Zuri then steps south to the edge of the spell. A thick vine springs from her hand and launches at the hobgoblin to the west, trying to pull him into his own spell.

Spoiler: OOC

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All snakes attack Okal

Snake #1 14AC 9HP H: (1d20+6)[11], D: (3d4+1)[9]
Snake #2 14AC 9HP H: (1d20+6)[26], D: (3d4+1)[6] +7 for crit
Snake #3 14AC 9HP H: (1d20+6)[19], D: (3d4+1)[7]
Snake #4 14AC 9HP H: (1d20+6)[13], D: (3d4+1)[13]
Snake #5 14AC 9HP H: (1d20+6)[12], D: (3d4+1)[5]
Snake #6 14AC 9HP H: (1d20+6)[12], D: (3d4+1)[13]
Snake #7 14AC 9HP H: (1d20+6)[8], D: (3d4+1)[11]
Snake #8 14AC 9HP H: (1d20+6)[16], D: (3d4+1)[8]

4 stay in melee range, 4 retreat to the upper corners of the room.

Thorn whip 20 to hit from OOC (2d6)[5] pulls Azel 10' east.

Spoiler: Flying Snake

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Flying Snake
Tiny beast, unaligned
Armor Class 14
Hit Points 5 (2d4) (+4 for mighty summoner)
Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft., swim 30 ft.
STR4 (-3) DEX18 (+4) CON11 (+0) INT2 (-4) WIS12 (+1) CHA5 (-3)
Senses Blindsight 10 Ft., passive Perception 11
Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)
Flyby. The snake doesn't provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of an enemy's reach.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (1d1) piercing damage plus (3d4)poison damage.

[Xihirli]

"I have no way of knowing if they are my cousins!" Gaks said helpfully as she sank to her ankles in clingy acid. While the snakes swarmed Okel, she pointed to Azel.
"Kac!" She commanded, reaching into the devastator’s lungs to pull forth uncontrollable laughter.

Spoiler: OOC

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Tasha’s Hideous… Azel must make a WIS save (1d20)[13] or drop prone abd become incapacitated, automatically losing concentration in the process.

EDIT: DC 17.

Spoiler: If Azel drops

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Gaks stepped right next to Azel , looking down at the other hobgoblin. "Focus on the other brother for now! We have a few seconds free of him!"

Spoiler: If Azel does not drop…

Show

Gaks swore.

[DigoDragon]

Freya skitters out of hiding to take a potshot at the right Hobgoblin before ducking back behind cover.

(Freya moves two squares north, shoots Eldritch Blast, then moves back south two squares back to her original position)

Spoiler: attack roll

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Beam A: (1d20+8)[19], damage (1d10)[8]
Beam B: (1d20+8)[9], damage (1d10)[4]

[Amnestic]

When Freya's beam streaks through the darkness, one goes wide. The other flickering blast slams into the chest of Okal...only for his form to vanish. A mirror image falls, instead of the arcanist you face. Beorn faces a similar problem with the first of his whip strikes finding nothing but illusion-wrapped air, but the second time his whip cracks down it strikes flesh. Far less lucky is Azel. Though he's able to power through Gaks' spell, the assembled snakes from Zuri pinch at his sides and force his acidic tentacles to vanish almost as quickly as they had appeared. The druid's thorny branches finds only a mirror image however, and fails to drag him from his room.

"Mech daan tolkuukaar!" Azel roars to his brother as he calls together a globule of acid together in his hands before flinging it forward through Gaks towards Zuri. The searing liquid wraps around the hobgoblin wizard first, but it seems that some of its force is diminished by the time it reaches the druid in the 'back lines'. The same is true for Okal's follow up, a beam of frozen air and water piercing through Beorn's protective stance to strike at Zuri behind. Only Zuri feels the effects of both spells, but diminished as they were by her comrades taking the brunt of them she's saved from the worst of it.

Spoiler: Map

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Zuri's whip hit a mirror image, the snakes hit if they rolled 14+ on their attack.
Gaks' spell flubbed due to Saving Face.
One of Freya's beams missed, the other struck a mirror image.
One of Beorn's attacks hit a mirror image, the other hit for 15 damage.

Gaks takes 35 acid damage from Lightning Acid Bolt.
Beorn takes 37 cold damage from Lightning Boreal Bolt.
Zuri takes 17 acid and 18 cold damage, from the above spells, for the purposes of concentration.

Azel (Left) has two mirror images remaining. Okal (Right) has one. Azel is the more injured of the two.

Spoiler: Goblinoid

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"Kill the summoner."

[Xihirli]

Gaks lifted her wounded hand into the acid bolt and the bulk of the acid melted through her bandage and went into her blood, where it was boiled away.
"Draal," she ordered Azel.

Spoiler: OOC

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"Die."

(2d12)[8] Necrotic vs (1d20)[10] WIS from Azel.

[Bobthewizard]

Zuri

Zuri is hit by both bolts, first by acid and then by freezing cold. She is mostly able to resist both but almost falls unconscious from the combined attack. In order to protect herself and the rest of the party, she summons her bear spirit lifting all of her allies' strength.

She commands her snakes to keep up the attack. "Finish them both."

The flying snakes continue to attack the hobgoblin there, fluttering in and out of his range as they attack. Zuri then conjures the thick vine, which again springs from her hand and launches at the hobgoblin to the west.

After that attack, Zuri moves to the west of Trellara and get out of the way of the counterattack. Even with the bear spirit, she is close to dropping. Her head is ringing. Her skin is burning. She's not sure how much longer she can last.

Spoiler: OOC

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BA for everyone to gain 13THP!

All snakes attack the same one again and then move to the twin if the first one falls.

Snake #1 14AC 9HP 13THP H: (1d20+6)[17], D: (3d4+1)[8]
Snake #2 14AC 9HP 13THP H: (1d20+6)[15], D: (3d4+1)[10]
Snake #3 14AC 9HP 13THP H: (1d20+6)[16], D: (3d4+1)[6]
Snake #4 14AC 9HP 13THP H: (1d20+6)[21], D: (3d4+1)[7]


Snake #5 14AC 9HP 13THP H: (1d20+6)[26], D: (3d4+1)[6] +6= 12
Snake #6 14AC 9HP 13THP H: (1d20+6)[26], D: (3d4+1)[9] +4 = 13
Snake #7 14AC 9HP 13THP H: (1d20+6)[13], D: (3d4+1)[9]
Snake #8 14AC 9HP 13THP H: (1d20+6)[19], D: (3d4+1)[7]

They move to the second hobgoblin if the first falls. 4 stay in melee range, 4 retreat to the upper corners of the room.

Thorn whip (1d20+7)[18] for (2d6)[5] does not pull.

Zuri then moves to where she is northwest of Trellara, between two of the coffins.

Spoiler: Flying Snake

Show

Flying Snake
Tiny beast, unaligned
Armor Class 14
Hit Points 5 (2d4) (+4 for mighty summoner)
Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft., swim 30 ft.
STR4 (-3) DEX18 (+4) CON11 (+0) INT2 (-4) WIS12 (+1) CHA5 (-3)
Senses Blindsight 10 Ft., passive Perception 11
Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)
Flyby. The snake doesn't provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of an enemy's reach.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (1d1) piercing damage plus (3d4)poison damage.

[stack]

Beorn keeps up the attack, but prepares to interpose himself should Gaks be struck again.

Spoiler

Show

att 1 (1d20+9)[22] for (1d4+6)[10] + (2d6)[10]
att 1 (1d20+9)[22] for (1d4+6)[7] + (2d6)[4]

Will use Divine Allegiance if Gaks hit again.
"At 7th level, when a creature within 5ft of you takes damage, you can use your reaction to take the damage instead of them. This damage cannot be reduced or prevented in any way."

[Xihirli]

Trellara poked from behind cover and shot the brother fighting Beorn before getting back behind cover.

Spoiler: OOC

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Attack!
(1d20+7)[13]; (1d8+4)[12] SNEAK (3d6)[10]

Then I'll get behind that wall.

[DigoDragon]

Freya pokes her head out from behind her cover. "Well. Only has so many fakes." She fires again and pulls herself back behind cover.

Spoiler: attack roll

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Same target.
Freya moves one square up, one square right. She casts Eldritch Blast, then retraces her steps back to her starting position.

Beam A: (1d20+8)[14], damage (1d20)[3] force
Beam B: (1d20+8)[28], damage (1d20)[13] force

[Amnestic]

The sudden onslaught of snakes tears through Azel from behind before he can get off another spell, and likewise Okal falls just as quickly from the coordinated efforts of the rest of the party. Before they can bring the full might of their spells to bear, both hobgoblin arcanists collapse from the crippling blows they were dealt - even their mirror images did not save them. One door remains adjacenet to Gaks unchecked, and from the layout of the rooms you judge it to be the only one in which there could be a path to the upstairs. With the sound of the combat at a close, you can strain your ears (against the flapping of Zuri's flying snakes) but can't hear anything from the upstairs - no creaking of wood, no twanging of bowstrings. The attack against the square seems to have been put on pause by your engagement, or perhaps your victory. The doorknob beckons, but with the attack paused you have a moment to collect yourselves.

Spoiler: OOC

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As it turns out the damage was sufficient to kill both the hobs, turns out 3 crits in a turn will do that. Fight over.

(1d20)[3](1d20)[18](1d20)[5](1d20)[14]

(4d8)[17]
(4d20)[15][19][8][20](62)
(1d20+6)[21](1d20+2)[14](1d20+6)[21]
(1d20+2)[6]

[Xihirli]

Gaks used her Eye of Seeing Things Most Find Difficult Et Cetera Et Cetera to discern if either twin had anything magical while she stuffed their spell books into her pack.

[stack]

Beorn stands ready to open the remaining door when the time comes.

[DigoDragon]

Freya looks at the doorknob with concern. "They know we're here. Expect an ambush," Freya says in hushed tones. She keeps out of line-of-sight from that door.

[Bobthewizard]

Zuri

Zuri slumps against the wall, her breathing shallow and her face pale and sweaty. She slowly pulls out her pouch and, with her hands shaking, starts to eat goodberries, gaining a little strength as she goes.

"I need a minute."

The snakes flutter about the room, waiting for instructions.

Spoiler: OOC

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Eats up to 20 goodberries over 2 minutes.

Spoiler: Flying Snake

Show

Flying Snake
Tiny beast, unaligned
Armor Class 14
Hit Points 5 (2d4) (+4 for mighty summoner)
Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft., swim 30 ft.
STR4 (-3) DEX18 (+4) CON11 (+0) INT2 (-4) WIS12 (+1) CHA5 (-3)
Senses Blindsight 10 Ft., passive Perception 11
Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)
Flyby. The snake doesn't provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of an enemy's reach.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (1d1) piercing damage plus (3d4)poison damage.

[Amnestic]

Gaks finds no spellbooks on the brothers - they're not carrying any. Both have a diamond each however. Not overly large, but still large enough to carry some value, either as a spell component or at a vendor. Once Zuri has finished recuperating, Beorn grasps the door handle and pulls it open. For a moment, there's only darkness in front of you - not pierced by light, nor darkvision. A blot of black, obscured to all vision. Then two arrows appear from the black to strike Beorn. The first skitters off his armour, but the second one pierces through and plunges itself into flesh. The oozing liquid used by the assassin previously appears to have been on the first arrow, however, and there's no venom seeping into the warrior's blood.

Then, the darkness moves, shimmering. You hear a door open on the top floor and the darkness shifts away, shrinking towards the east-side of the building that faces the square. Muffled footsteps accompany it, but they're barely audible. At the very least you only hear one set padding along the barely audible creak of wood. With the black obscuring magic now gone, you can see that the stairs are riddled with tiny metal spikes. Caltrops, laid in preparation for any who would assail the upper level.

Spoiler: Map(s)

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Lower Floor:


Upper Floor:


Gaks acquires 2xDiamonds worth 50gp each.

The assassin took you by surprise, due to hiding. Beorn takes 27 piercing damage from the assassin's Assassinate arrow shot.

As noted, there are caltrops on the 3 squares of stairs leading up to the upper floor, so moving half speed through them wouldn't let you reach the other side (at 30' movement speed, unless you Dash).

Any creature that enters the area must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or stop moving and take 1 piercing damage. Until the creature regains at least 1 hit point, its walking speed is reduced by 10 feet. A creature moving through the area at half speed doesn't need to make the saving throw.

Everyone except Zuri gets a turn->Then the enemy->Then everyone.

[stack]

Beorn grunts but immediately pursues, pausing only to try to sweep the caltrops away with his shield.

Spoiler

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not sure on the exact mechanics for how this would work, basically trying to use the shield edge and drag it across the floor to clear a path.

[Xihirli]

Gaakach nodded at Beorn and advanced a little past him, using her own shield similarly.

Spoiler: OOC

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I will remove the next set of caltrops and stop there.

Trellara nocked an arrow, looking up the stairs, ready to shoot if someone tried to poke their head out and fire again.

Spoiler: TRELLARA

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Readied shot!
I don't think this'll have sneak attack. (1d20+7)[27]; (1d8+4)[7] Crit for 11 total.

[DigoDragon]

Freya will move up, clear the last set of caltrops, then retreat back down to allow Beorn to an unimpeded path to the top.

[Amnestic]

With a staggered approach, you manage to clear aside the laid caltrop traps and Beorn proceeds to the top of the stairs, on guard. Both doors are open, though his attention is placed solidly on the east-facing path, as that seemed to be where the darkness blob seemed to come from. Indeed with his now-ascended position he sees it approaching. The all-consuming void absent of any light cuts (and Gaks, who is close behind) off from all sight, and the sound of two bow twangs is heard. One arrow again skitters past Beorn's armour - deflected at the last second by his reflexes - but the second one finds its mark against the man and pierces through the metallic plating into him, the combined power of the two bowshots enough to knock the man out as blood seeps from the wounds dealt.

The blow delivered the assassin makes a seemingly odd choice to slam the door shut right in the warrior's now-unconscious face, blotting the black from sight. No sound of locking is heard, nor of any sort of objects being placed in front of it. Instead light footfalls are then heard at the far northern end of the upper room, though you note that there was no creaking of wood or pitter patter on the planking to indicate that he walked there, instead it seems he simply...appeared there.

Spoiler: Maps

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Lower <-> Upper



Beorn takes a further 26 piercing damage, which I believe puts him to 0. High AC saved Gaks from taking a shot though!

Alas, Trellara's ready action is wasted - the enemy never entered sight range, remaining out of line of sight of the stairs.

Everyone's up, and of course if you pick Beorn up he will retain a turn.

[Bobthewizard]

Zuri

Zuri is a little slow getting up after eating the goodberries. By the time she does, Beorn has already been dropped by two arrows from the assassin. She runs up the stairs after him, feeding him a goodberry as she continues up the stairs. She opens the door and commands her snakes to find the assassin and kill it.

"Find them and kill them."

She then steps behind the doorway instead of entering the room.

Spoiler: OOC

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Action - Feeds Beorn a goodberry.

Object interaction - opens door

snakes fly in and attack any enemies they see.

Snake #1 14AC 9HP 13THP H: (1d20+6)[15], D: (3d4+1)[7]
Snake #2 14AC 9HP 13THP H: (1d20+6)[26], D: (3d4+1)[6] +4 = 10
Snake #3 14AC 9HP 13THP H: (1d20+6)[15], D: (3d4+1)[11]
Snake #4 14AC 9HP 13THP H: (1d20+6)[26], D: (3d4+1)[7] +4 = 11
Snake #5 14AC 9HP 13THP H: (1d20+6)[15], D: (3d4+1)[8]
Snake #6 14AC 9HP 13THP H: (1d20+6)[13], D: (3d4+1)[6]
Snake #7 14AC 9HP 13THP H: (1d20+6)[19], D: (3d4+1)[10]
Snake #8 14AC 9HP 13THP H: (1d20+6)[17], D: (3d4+1)[10]

Spoiler: Flying Snake

Show

Flying Snake
Tiny beast, unaligned
Armor Class 14
Hit Points 5 (2d4) (+4 for mighty summoner)
Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft., swim 30 ft.
STR4 (-3) DEX18 (+4) CON11 (+0) INT2 (-4) WIS12 (+1) CHA5 (-3)
Senses Blindsight 10 Ft., passive Perception 11
Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)
Flyby. The snake doesn't provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of an enemy's reach.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (1d1) piercing damage plus (3d4)poison damage.

[Xihirli]

Gaks stepped in front of Beorn, lifting her shield. "You'll get yourself killed charging ahead like that. Get yourself to a safe distance until you are ready." She stayed in front of Aetus in the direction the arrow had come from, ready to fire bolt anyone she saw.

Spoiler: OOC

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Readied Fire Bolt (1d20+9)[19]; (2d10)[12]