Ghosts of Saltmarsh IC

[paradox26]

Eldryn is pleased to see that the alchemist is vulnerable, and he continues his attacks on the undead magic using alchemist. He launches another eldritch blast at the creature, trying to destroy it before it could throw more vials at the party.

Spoiler: OOC Actions

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(1d20+4)[24] Eldritch blast on alchemist
(1d10+2)[6] Eldritch blast damage

[paradox26]

Eldryn seems to hit the creature front on. He studies it as the blast lashes out at it.

Spoiler: OOC Actions continued

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He rolled a natural 20, and as it is a ray, that should be a potential crit, so I will roll for the confirmation and extra damage.
(1d20+4)[23] attack confirm
(1d10+2)[9] extra potential damage

[CaoimhinTheCape]

So, the way critical hits work you don't need to roll to confirm. So you would have gotten a crit and been able to roll the damage die again, but not at the +2 a second time. I'm counting that as 13 damage (6+7). Regardless...

Spoiler: Crit Rules

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If the d20 roll for an attack is a 20, the attack hits regardless of any modifiers or the target's AC. This is called a critical hit, which is explained later in this chapter. - PHB 194

Critical Hits

When you score a critical hit, you get to roll extra dice for the attack's damage against the target. Roll all of the attack's damage dice twice and add them together. Then add any relevant modifiers as normal. To speed up play, you can roll all the damage dice at once.

For example, if you score a critical hit with a dagger, roll 2d4 for the damage, rather than 1d4, and then add your relevant ability modifier. If the attack involves other damage dice, such as from the rogue's Sneak Attack feature, you roll those dice twice as well. - PHB 196

The Eldritch Blast hits the alchemist and you hear the clattering of dozens of bones as they fly in all directions, bouncing off the ceiling walls and floor. Its tattered cloak lays on the ground, unmoving.

The other skeletons don't seem to pay any attention to this, though in comparison they don't seem like they will take as much effort to defeat.

Byrok.


Initiative:

Yue: 22
Eldryn: 19
Byrok: 10
Skeleton E (-7 HP): 7
Skeleton F: 7

[Snarkhunter]

Byrok barely feels the small cuts inflicted by the skeletons. He continues, his fighting spirit bolstered by the skeletal alchemist's demise.

Spoiler: OOC

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Byrok is down to 26/34 and will use second wind as a bonus action, then attack the skeleton, then action surge and attack again.

Rolls: Second wind 1d10+2; Pike +6 to hit, 1d10+6 (reroll 1's and 2's) damage

Second wind: (1d10+2)[8]

Attack: (1d20+6)[23]
Damage: (1d10+6)[15]

Action Surge Attack: (1d20+6)[20]
Action Surge Damage: (1d10+6)[8]

[Snarkhunter]

Spoiler: OOC

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Rerolling the Action Surge Damage because it was a 2.

Action Surge Damage: (1d10+6)[12]

[CaoimhinTheCape]

With those two strikes, the final skeletons go down. You now are looking into a room full of skeleton bones, though a few of them (6) reflect the light. Inspecting this, you see that they are dipped in gold. Though the alchemist's robes are tattered and likely useless, digging under them reveals an empty bag of holding.

The secret door that the alchemist entered through is wide open and leads to another room.

[Izzarra]

Yue Divine Soul Sorceress / Bard HP: 19/19, AC: 14, Resistance: Fire Conditions: None Spell Slots: 1st 1/4, 2nd 1/2

"<I have heard of foul magics that can raise the dead, but have never seen it myself.>"

Yue draws her Rapier and pokes the bones a few times to be sure that they have finished moving.

[paradox26]

Eldryn relaxes a little as the undead stop moving on the ground. He prods the alchemist with his boot, then examines the golden bones in curiosity. He then picks up the bag of holding and reaches inside it, on the off chance it has something stored inside it.

Once he has examined the bag of holding, he goes to the open door the alchemist came through and peers through to the next room.

[CaoimhinTheCape]

The gold coated bones seem like they might be worth something if you sold them and the bag of holding is, indeed, empty.

A bench runs down the west wall of what seems to be a laboratory. On the bench are jars of powders and liquids and several pieces of chemical apparatus.

There is a table against the south wall, forming an L-shape with the bench. A book is open on the table.

Also on the table is a candlestick, with a tiny stump of unlit candle still in it, and a variety of other items that, even in the dim light, shine with the warmth of pure gold. One of these objects looks like a human skull.

[Izzarra]

Yue Divine Soul Sorceress / Bard HP: 19/19, AC: 14, Resistance: Fire Conditions: None Spell Slots: 1st 1/4, 2nd 1/2

"<To Captain Xendros we should take these bones. Proof that there were more then bandits here and that Master Traibar was honest.>"

Yue is deeply interested in the many reagents in the laboratory and the book. Carefully she begins looking over what is there.

Spoiler: OOC

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She has proficiency with the herbalism and poisoner's kit.

[CaoimhinTheCape]

The book is titled Ye Secret of Ye Philosopher's Stone, no author.

It is written in common, but it seems like this book wasn't exactly edited for readability. It would take 8 hours of study to read the book along with an Arcana check to gain knowledge from this book. At first glance, it seems like the book is trying to instruct the reader on how to create something called a philosopher's stone.




The reagents seem like they would have any number of uses and are what they appear to be.

OOC: It doesn't really give details on these but if you want to take any components for simple spells from here, you're welcome to. If you have anything else you wanna do with them, let me know.

[Snarkhunter]

Byrok picks up the golden human skull, tapping it to see if it is solid gold or just some coating. With a thoughtful expression he then approaches Sanbalet and examines his head, as if wondering if his bones might be equally valuable.

[Izzarra]

Yue Divine Soul Sorceress / Bard HP: 19/19, AC: 14, Resistance: Fire Conditions: None Spell Slots: 1st 1/4, 2nd 1/2

Yue borrows the bag of holding from Eldryn and begins packing all of the bones from the undead skeletons, the book on the Philosopher's Stone, and any valuable reagents from the laboratory.

[paradox26]

Eldryn hands over the bag of holding without question, and watches as the valuable goods are placed inside the bag. He says, "I wonder what the purpose was in coating the bones in gold. That is an expensive material to coat bones with for no good reason."

When everything is packed away, he goes back and opens the door leading upwards to what he assumes is the house. He hopes to catch any further enemies by surprise, but even so, he is very careful and quiet as he opens the door. If he sees any, he will equally quietly head back to the laboratory, where the party will have the advantage in a fight.

[CaoimhinTheCape]

Byrok picks up the golden human skull, tapping it to see if it is solid gold or just some coating. With a thoughtful expression he then approaches Sanbalet and examines his head, as if wondering if his bones might be equally valuable.

This skull is fully gold, not just plating. As for Sanbalet, he doesn't seem to be aware that this room existed and his people had barred it off, so there's probably no connection there.

Yue borrows the bag of holding from Eldryn and begins packing all of the bones from the undead skeletons, the book on the Philosopher's Stone, and any valuable reagents from the laboratory.

For loot, you get: a gold skull, a gold apple, a gold rose, 5 gold discs, gold coins totaling 47 gp.

When everything is packed away, he goes back and opens the door leading upwards to what he assumes is the house. He hopes to catch any further enemies by surprise, but even so, he is very careful and quiet as he opens the door. If he sees any, he will equally quietly head back to the laboratory, where the party will have the advantage in a fight.

How far do you want to explore on your own? Just the room at the top of either staircase or going through the full house? There's two full floors of the house and while you're sure any enemies would have come down by now, there may be traps.

[paradox26]

Eldryn only explores to the top of the staircase.

[CaoimhinTheCape]

Eldryn only explores to the top of the staircase.

So, there were two staircases to check:

The staircase from the large gathering room leads up to what looks like a trapdoor. As you approach, you get the sense that there is a magical trap at the top, based on proximity. If you want to continue up that staircase, let me know.

There was also a staircase in the room to the north, where you found the dead remains of an adventurer. Those stairs lead up to the scullery. This room displays the effects of damp and decay more than most. Mold grows in patches on the floor, walls, and ceiling. A large copper cask, split, discolored and empty, stands under the window, with a small heap of crockery shards on the floor beside it. There is one door in this room, leading west.

You also get a sense that there is a magical trap here, specifically for anyone who steps on the top stair.

[paradox26]

Eldryn waits for the others to finish what they are doing, then he says, "There are two staircases. One has a proximity trap, the other has a trap on the top step, so be careful not to step onto the top step. Are you ready to proceed? I recommend we go up the second staircase first, as I don't have a way to avoid a proximity trap at all."

[CaoimhinTheCape]

To move you guys forward, you can make it to the scullery without issue, skipping over the trapped step.

[Izzarra]

Yue Divine Soul Sorceress / Bard HP: 19/19, AC: 14, Resistance: Fire Conditions: None Spell Slots: 1st 1/4, 2nd 1/2

After collecting everything in the lab Yue draws her Rapier and prepares to go upstairs.

[paradox26]

Eldryn steps over the trapped step, and makes his way into the scullery. He then starts to explore that room, listening at any doors he finds for signs of activity.

[CaoimhinTheCape]

There's really nothing of interest in this room and you don't hear any sounds from the only other door in the room.

[Izzarra]

Yue Divine Soul Sorceress / Bard HP: 19/19, AC: 14, Resistance: Fire Conditions: None Spell Slots: 1st 1/4, 2nd 1/2

Yue gets into position to loose a bolt of fire through anything that might be on the other side of the door and nods that she is ready.

Spoiler: OOC

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Readied action to cast firebolt if anything attacks.

[paradox26]

Eldryn carefully opens the door silently, then charges through into the next room, clearing the doorway for the others to get in after him.

[CaoimhinTheCape]

This kitchen is dirty and damp, with patches of gray mold and cobwebs on the floor, walls, and ceiling. In the southwest corner is some iron cooking equipment with a chimney above. Next to it, under the window, is a cracked and discolored stone sink.

To the right of the sink, a small, closed wooden cupboard is fixed to the wall about five feet above floor level.

Against the far wall, a flight of wooden stairs leads upward from west to east; the woodwork of the staircase is decayed, and a few of the treads are missing.



So, stairs going up to the second floor, door going out to the south. It takes a moment but you also find a set of footprints on the ground, which look like they are headed toward the staircase you just came up.

[paradox26]

Eldryn first opens the cupboard, then, if he finds nothing of interest, he heads for the stairs, following the footprints as quietly as he can.

[CaoimhinTheCape]

So, the footprints went to the staircase to the basement - the one you just walked up. With Yue's survival check, you can tell that they were made earlier that day, before you all entered the house. They probably belong to one of the bandits you already fought.

[Izzarra]

Yue Divine Soul Sorceress / Bard HP: 19/19, AC: 14, Resistance: Fire Conditions: None Spell Slots: 1st 1/4, 2nd 1/2

"<The footprints are recent, one of the smugglers might have spotted us when we arrived.>"

[paradox26]

Eldryn nods understanding, then indicates the staircase. He starts to carefully ascend the stairs, watching out for broken or missing steps as he goes, to ensure he doesn't fall through. He puts his foot down carefully on each step, before placing all of his weight onto it.

[Izzarra]

Yue Divine Soul Sorceress / Bard HP: 19/19, AC: 14, Resistance: Fire Conditions: None Spell Slots: 1st 1/4, 2nd 1/2

Yue carefully follows Eldryn, ready to cast a firebolt if anything attacks.