dcc thracia! part 9 ... sphinx and skeletons!

picking up where we left off ...

MSG: All right, so I spill the beans about the weird room with the non-mortal invisible being on the pedestal in the back, trying to be as clear as I can about how my Detect Magic is really making me feel like it's out of our league.
Heddy: I'm persuaded. I wasn't even sure that giant was in our league, so if we passed on fighting him, I'll pass on an invisible extraplanar being.
Hettie: Seconded.
Ariel: Thirded!
Sasha: Come on, shouldn't we at least try to talk to it? Connie speaks up so whatever's in the room ought to be able to hear her. "Hey! Whoever's in there! We're detecting the heck out of your magic, so why don't you just tell us what's up?"
Judge Claire: A lilting female voice replies in a steady tone, "Enter, or do not. The choices you make are your own."
Sasha: Sounds like a dare to me. Connie walks in. 
Judge Claire: As soon as you do, a dazzling beam of golden light shines down onto the pedestal, illuminating the whole room. You now see a figure on the pedestal, with the body of a lion and the head of a woman, her hair silky and black and set in tight ringlets. Great, feathered wings are folded along the creature's back. With the appearance of the light, you now see that the walls are decorated with ornate frescoes portraying deeds and incarnations of gods and heroes unfamiliar to you. The creature says, "The fee for entering my room is 10 gold pieces per individual. Please set it on the ground before you now. For an additional fee of 100 gold pieces, I will answer a single question."
Sasha: "Best I can do is this 10 gold piece pendant," I tell her. I'll take one of my pendants off and toss it on the ground near the pedestal. Then I'll ask my party if they want to chip in on a 100 gold piece question.
Ariel: That would be a whole lot of our pendants!
Hettie: Yes, a bit rich for our neophyte adventurers' blood.
Sasha: Look, easy come, easy go. Chopper, you just got finished telling us how badass this lion chick must be. Don't you want to hear whatever magical knowledge she can lay on us?
MSG: Sort of. But I took the chainmail, so I only have one pendant, which leaves us 9 short.
Heddy: Glynette says she'll chip in two of her pendants.
Elle: Imlero will put in one if we're doing this.
Ariel: I guess Granny can spare half of hers. She asks what's half of four.
Sasha: Come on, guys, that's 4 left. Heck, Connie will put in another one of hers to make it 3.
Akane: Nanda can spare one pendant.
Hettie: Sigh. Fine, Antwerp will kick in the last two, then.
Sasha: I'll gather them up and slide them across the floor. Then I ask, "What's the quickest way for us to get a lot of treasure and safely return to the surface?"
MSG: Wait, we needed to talk about what we wanted to ask!
Judge Claire: Too late. The creature smiles and says, "Descend the stairs you but recently discovered. Destroy the 20 skeletons in the room at the bottom. Touch the western door and then stand back until the guardian mouth disappears. Enter the room of statues beyond. The person before me now will receive a Blessing from me that allows her to remove two and exactly two gems from the statue of the minotaur. Taking any other gems will awaken a deadly guardian beyond my power to protect you from. Return to me with the two gems, and in exchange for one of them, I will transport you all to the surface. The other you will be able to sell for 400 gold pieces." Then she waves one paw in a circle, and a brief, golden light surrounds Connie, who suddenly feels very safe and at ease.
Sasha: Yes! Sweet!
MSG: Did you not hear the part about the 20 skeletons?
Sasha: Yeah, but we'll fight them on the stairs where they can only come at us a couple at a time.
Heddy: Before we start strategizing about the 20 skeletons, can we take a second to discuss the wisdom of sending Connie in to pry two and only two gems from a room that has a deadly guardian this ultra-powerful sphinx chick can't protect us from? I mean, 20 skeletons doesn't sound great to me, but I think Connie's reliability is the bigger sticking point.
Akane: Nanda is in agreement.
Sasha: Fine. Somebody else can dig out the gems.
MSG: But Connie's the one with the special sphinx blessing.
Hettie: An opinion has hatched and is growing in Antwerp's mind that everything on this level so far seems rather beyond us. I'm in favor of going back to the stairs our semi-giant friend pointed out to us and trying to find our way to safety in that direction. We can come back and try again later -- perhaps when we've achieved second level and have more money to throw around on sphinx questions.
Ariel: Granny says, "But if Connie's the one taking the gems, won't she be the one the guardian's going to chase after? So if she does the wrong thing, why don't we just let it have her?"
MSG: That's a pretty good point. I ask the sphinx if the guardian will only go after the person who took the gems specifically.
Judge Claire: She says, "That is another question. If you wish to have it answered, you will need to step into my chamber and pay the fees again."
MSG: I had a feeling she'd say that.
Sasha: So what's it going to be, skeleton-killing and gem-taking, or slinking away with our tails between our legs and then maybe getting pushed to our deaths by giant bats anyway? Connie knows which way she's voting.
Elle: Worst-case scenario, we still have all those other characters who made it back to town.
Ariel: I really like Granny, though!
MSG: Well ... hopefully she's right about this deadly guardian only going after whoever actually takes the gems. Connie's probably right about us being able to take out the skeletons at a choke-point, especially now that I know I don't make my Deity Disapproval worse every time I miss a healing roll.
Heddy: Glynette's Lawful. I suppose she'll go along with the rest of the group.
Hettie: Antwerp will be in the back with her sling and I assume plenty of targets to be shooting at behind the skeletons' front line, so I'm willing to give it a try.
Ariel: Granny's worried now that she gave up her lucky duck. But I guess she'll go along.
Akane: Nanda has no means for contribution until her spells return. It's a shrug from her.
Sasha: Sounds like we're a go, then!
MSG: All right. Let's head for those stairs before we have too many second thoughts.
Judge Claire: When you head down the hallway and turn the corner, you find that the stairs down are choked with giant spiderwebs.
Heddy: Terrific.
Judge Claire: Chopper doesn't sense anything inherently dangerous in them, though. They'll just be really tough and sticky to get through. However, 50' down from the head of the stairs, he does sense a bunch of unholy presences.
Heddy: Do we want to chop our way through the webs, then? Or can we maybe light them on fire and burn them away?
MSG: I know it sounds like work, but I actually like the idea of chopping our way through. We can get just short of the bottom and leave a section of webs to slow the skeletons down, and Antwerp can shoot past the webs to get them to come at us and get stuck.
Elle: Sharp. I like it.
Ariel: Ooh! I'm looking at the book and it says being higher up gives you +1 to hit, and being entangled in something will give the skeletons -1d. Whoa! AND we get +1d to attack them while they're tangled up!
Sasha: See? This is gonna work out great.
Judge Claire: Okay, I'm not making you do all the die rolling to attack the webs and damage them until you've cleared each 5' cube. Halfway down the stairs, you do find the shriveled-up, dry carcass of a giant spider that apparently spun these webs long ago.
Ariel: Aw, the poor spider!
Judge Claire: As you near the bottom of the stairs, the room below becomes visible, but indistinctly so through the many strands of webbing. You can see the shadowy shapes of skeletons lined up around the walls of the room, their eyes glowing orange. They're going to get cover from the webbing until they're actually adjacent to you, so Antwerp will have -2 to hit with her sling. Everyone roll initiative. Remember, d16 for you Warriors with battleaxes.
Heddy: 18 for Glynette.
Hettie: 10 for Antwerp.
Elle: 17 for Imlero even on the d16.
Ariel: 7 for Granny.
Sasha: Connie is on 10.
Akane: Uncertain why, but Nanda rolls initiative and receives 13 as a result.
MSG: 8 for me.
Judge Claire: Glynette, you're up.
Heddy: I stand behind the safety line of the webs and wave my axes to goad the skeletons toward us.
Elle: Same for Imlero.
Akane: Skeletons! We are here! Attack us!
Hettie: Antwerp takes her first shot with her sling. So ... +1 for elevation, -2 for cover ... I end up with a 6.
Sasha: Connie pats the flat of her battleaxe blade with one hand.
Ariel: Granny just saves her energy and waits.
MSG: Chopper will try to Turn Unholy, I guess. But I fail with a 9.
Judge Claire: Skeletons' turn. Roused from their eternal watch, they lurch forward to attack. The first three hit the webs and make Strength checks to push through. Only number 2 makes it. With its bony jaws clacking, it claws at Imlero with a 10.
Elle: That misses.
Judge Claire: Number 1 and 3 remain entangled, but attack at -1d ... a 9 on Glynette, a 2 on Connie. Back to Glynette.
Heddy: Two handaxes! I hit with one for 3 points.
Judge Claire: It's slashing damage, so the skeleton takes less.
Heddy: Wait -- I was supposed to be at +1d for it being entangled. Can I re-roll that second attack on a d20?
Judge Claire: That's fair.
Heddy: 18! 5 points this time.
Elle: Imlero attacks with this behemoth 24-sider. Can I strike with the flat of my axe to do bludgeoning instead of slashing?
Judge Claire: Yes, but its -1d on the damage.
Elle: I'll take it. My deed is to push it back into the webbing so it's entangled again ... but it fails. I do hit, though, for 9 points.
Judge Claire: Destroyed.
Hettie: Antwerp fires at a back-row skeleton ... and crits! A 6 on my crit table is ... Foe dazed. Speed and actions halved. Damage is 5.
Judge Claire: It's dead then, not dazed.
Sasha: AXE! None of this wimpy flat-of-the-blade stuff. I'm hacking mine down. 11 to hit, 11 damage.
Judge Claire: Even half damage kills it. 
MSG: This is going well enough I'm not risking a spell check fumble for turning Unholy. I skip this round.
Ariel: Granny can't reach anything so I guess me too.
Judge Claire: Skeletons! Number 1 tries to disentangle itself, but fails. Two more move up to replace numbers 2 and 3 ... only one makes its strength check. Number 1 misses Glynette with a 2. New guy A hits Imlero with a 12 for 3 points. New guy B misses Connie. Heddy, you're up.
Heddy: Two hits on number 1 with my axes ...
Judge Claire: Only 1 hit point left, so it's dead.
Elle: Imlero tries a pushback Deed on Guy A and fails the Deed, but gets a 23. That's a crit for a Warrior on d24, right?
Judge Claire: Correct. But I think your minimum damage kills him regardless.
Hettie: Antwerp fires again ... crits again! Extraordinary. Only 3 points of damage this time, so the crit may make the difference. It's a 1, but that's 2d3 damage.
Judge Claire: Dead.
Sasha: Axe to the max! Boo. That's an 8 total, so a miss, right?
Judge Claire: Yep. Skeletons again, unless Granny or Chopper has something to do? Or Nanda, I suppose. We skipped her this round.
Akane: No complaining from Nanda about that.
Judge Claire: More replacements! All 3 engaged skeletons have to check strength to try to get disentangled. Fail, success, success. A 5 on Glynette, 7 on Imlero, 12 on Connie. 1 damage, Connie.
Heddy: 1 axe hit on mine for 6 points.
Judge Claire: Still up.
Heddy: Foo.
Elle: Pushback Deed ... but it's a botch. Fumble die comes up 1.
Ariel: That's the one where we all laugh, right?
Sasha: Connie does no matter what. "Come on, Imlers! Keep up!"
Hettie: Antwerp's crit streak is broken with a natural 2.
Sasha: Beheading attack! Yes, 3 on the Deed die!
Judge Claire: Its skull goes sailing, then, since that means your minimum damage is what, 7 with your strength? Even giving you 1 point for the Deed means it's dead without even a damage roll.
Sasha: Yeah, baby!
MSG: Imlero got hit earlier, right? I guess I'll try a Lay on Hands roll. Crap. Shouldn't have. That's a 2, which is Deity Disapproval again. Even worse, I have to roll 2d4 on the Disapproval table. 4 ... immediate -1 penalty to all spell checks until tomorrow. And my Disapproval range is 1-3 now. That sucks.
Judge Claire: Skeletons! Glynette's is still entangled. New guy number 6 fails his Strength roll too. Miss on Glynette, miss on Imlero ... hit on Connie for another 1. Back to Glynette.
Heddy: My first axe blow hits, so that kills the one I already wounded, right? So my second attack goes on the adjacent one ... that's a hit, but only 2 points.
Elle: Imlero rolls a 10 and damage of 5.
Hettie: Antwerp hits for 3.
Sasha: Hacking this number 6 for ... another miss.
MSG: No more heroic healing attempts from Chopper.
Ariel: Can Granny try that Deed die thing where if she makes it, she can stab past Connie?
Judge Claire: Sure.
Ariel: Spear-o! Yay! I did it! 6 points!
Judge Claire: Spear damage though, so it isn't dead yet. Skeletons' turn. Strength checks ... made it, missed it, missed it. Glynette is hit for 3, Imlero missed, Connie missed.
Heddy: Ouch. I try to return the favor. Two hits, 2 points and 3 points.
Judge Claire: The slashing damage thing is killing you. It's still up.
Elle: Imlero hits for 7.
Hettie: Antwerp misses.
Sasha: Connie -- fumbles again. Crap! Another one, but I dare anybody to laugh unless you want me to dig out every gem I see in that next room when the time comes.
Akane: Nanda insists to everyone not to laugh.
Ariel: Granny tries her spear move again ... nope.
Judge Claire: Strength checks fail and fail ... another hit on Glynette for 1 ... a Crit on Imlero. That's bad news, because Undead crits are nasty. This one is ... numbness of the grave spreads from the wound. +1d4 damage and next turn you have to make a Fort save at DC2 or be paralyzed. Each round after that, the DC goes up. If you save all the way to DC 20 or receive magical healing, the effect ends. Damage is 6.
Elle: Ow. Chopper may need to risk that Deity Disapproval soon.
Heddy: The guy in front of me is another one-hit-and-down, right? I hit him and attack the adjacent one with my other hand. Also a hit, for yeesh, 2 points.
Elle: Imlero gets another auto-kill and rolls 13 for her save.
Hettie: Antwerp's sling whizzes and ... fumbles. A 2 means I have to save or go prone, right? Made it.
Sasha: Crunch time! A hit, for 12.
Judge Claire: Very dead.
MSG: I guess I'm trying this heal on Imlero ... 16 is a success, so d12 of healing gives you 10 back.
Elle: More than I needed. Great.
Judge Claire: Skeletons move up. Two Strength fails and one success. Hit on Glynette for 2 more points.
Heddy: Maybe I should have moved up while the web row was empty.
Judge Claire: Miss on Imlero, hit on Connie for 3. Glynette's turn.
Heddy: A hit and a miss ... 3 points.
Elle: Any hit's a kill for me as long as I'm using the flat of my axe, so that's another one down. Save is good ...
Hettie: Antwerp hits with her sling doing 3.
Sasha: Connie hits for 8 points.
Judge Claire: Dead.
MSG: I'll risk a heal attempt on Glynette. She's sounding pretty hurt. That is a 2. Can I spend 2 luck to avoid that?
Judge Claire: On a 2, yes. A natural 1 is always Disapproval, but I don't see any restriction on spending luck for a 2 or higher.
Heddy: I'll spend one of my points for you. I get 2 for 1 and I get mine back over time, so it's not as much of a waste for me.
MSG: Thanks!
Judge Claire: Granny doesn't have any targets for her spear trick, so the skeletons go. Another hit on Glynette for 1. Strength check fails for the one that moves up to Imlero and it misses. Strength check succeeds on a new foe for Connie, and it hits for 3 points. Glynette is up.
Heddy: I'm trying the flat-of-the-axe trick. That's a hit for 3 on number 5 ... 
Judge Claire: Kills it.
Heddy: Nice. And another hit for 3 on this G one.
Judge Claire: Kills it too.
Heddy: Damn, I should have been doing this the whole time. Okay, now I move back out of combat reach.
Elle: Imlero takes a whack at K. Hit, so it's dead. Save is good.
Ariel: Ooh! Nobody's in the spot where Glynette was, so Granny can move in there!
Hettie: You jumped the order on Antwerp, but I'll forgive you.
Ariel: Oops, sorry!
Hettie: No worries. I fire my sling ... a hit for 3.
Judge Claire: The last two skeletons move up.
Ariel: Yay! The last two!
Judge Claire: Strength check on the first one makes it, second one fails. The one on Imlero fumbles ... a 4 is normally a busted weapon, but it's not using a weapon, so I'll give it -1d. The one on Connie misses.
Heddy: I'm out. You guys finish them off.
Elle: I administer death to mine. Oh, but I fail my save.
Judge Claire: Paralyzed.
Hettie: Bad idea to fire into melee, so I'll skip my turn.
Sasha: Whack! 12 points.
Judge Claire: The last one goes down.
Heddy: Whew.
Ariel: No kidding!
MSG: So we've got one warrior paralyzed, two front-liners seriously hurt, and the cleric in sad territory for Deity Disapproval ... especially the way I seem to be rolling.
Judge Claire: I'd say that was a 3 xp battle.
Hettie: I believe we rather need to rest.
Elle: Seriously AF, but where? If we can't lock ourselves in somewhere, we'll get hit with wandering monster rolls, what, every hour? Every turn?
Akane: A question about my Ward Portal spell, Judge.
Judge Claire: Yes?
Akane: After casting, can I uncast it? One result is warded portal for 2d6 times 10 minutes. The next is 2d6 times 10 hours. If we must await the full duration before opening the door ourselves, we might be locked in for many days.
Judge Claire: I think it only makes sense that the casting wizard could unlock the door. Otherwise the higher level results would permanently keep the wizard from ever going through the door himself unless the spell got dispelled.
Akane: Good. In this case, I can Ward Portal the secret door we entered through, and we can rely on the webs and trap of the skeleton room door to keep us safe from that direction. This should avoid monster wandering, yes?
Elle: Seems like a plan to me.
Akane: Then I will cast, with a roll of ... 17. It's the x10 minutes result, so I roll 100 minutes. At the end of this time, I cast again. Possibly I should do Spellburning? I could spend points of Strength and 1 of Stamina without much affecting Nanda's capacities. This could help my roll by 4.
MSG: Yes, but if you roll a fumble, you lose those points permanently.
Akane: Oh. Perhaps things are not desperate enough for such now. My second cast I do normally, then. Same result is 70 minutes. Now we have gone 3 hours with Warded Portal keeping our safety. Next casting, same, but one hour. Next casting, lost, failure. But! I can spellburn to regain a spell. This costs 1 point and there's no chance to botch. I spare a point of Strength. Next roll, also bad. Another burning of Strength. Ah! 21 is the outcome. Extreme wardedness. I hope it's true the wizard can undo her own spell, because the door disappears for 90 hours and remains locked 30 hours after reappearance.
Judge Claire: I'm going to stand by that ruling.
Akane: Thank you. By the way, this spell has Mercurial Magic of ashy worms. Each casting creates writhing, smoking worms on the ground. Weird and distasteful, but otherwise without problem, I think.
Judge Claire: You can all finish resting, then. Deity Disapproval resets, all spells are regained, you get one hit point back each, and one point of ability damage healed. That doesn't apply to luck, except for Thieves and Halflings.
MSG: Okay. I try healing Connie ... that's a success, for 8. I try healing Glynette ... also a success, for 6.
Judge Claire: 
Heddy: I'm still down 1, but that seems livable.
MSG: Yeah, but it's a brand-new day. I think I'll give it a shot to get you all the way back to full. That's a success.
Judge Claire: I'd say that's an auspicious moment to end the session on, then. Next time we can see what happens with this room where Connie is supposed to pry out the gems of the minotaur statue's eyes!