Completed Play-by-Post: In Search of the Sorcerer

[L'ennui]

Spoiler

No worries! Good luck.

 

[Siveon]

OOC

That's fine, man.

 

[nikolokolus]

OOC

And . . . I'm back (apologies for the delay)

A quick recap: When last we left off, Cormac had just been pulled clear of the narrow tunnel and two shambling, human-ish looking things with excessively loose skin had slammed into Rhenmyr and Brule's shield wall, Marcán and Urash had rushed forward to help them deal with this, and the bard had started chanting a very heroic poem that has started to lift your spirits in this dismal mausoleum (On the start of round 3 everyone will be +1 to-hit and save for as long as Marcán continues to recite his verse).

Right after Cormac was pulled free, a skinless, putrid creature that looks as if it were something is in the process of metamorphosing between man and ophidian crawled from the narrow declivity and slithered down to the floor where it has coiled its body in a rude mockery of a serpent.

Round 2:
Borric & Rhenmyr
Critters
Ker
Brule, Urash & Cormac
Marcán

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Borric readies his boot-blade, and sets his maul at the ready to only parry attacks.

 

[Grimgravy]

Question

How steep is the staircase?

edit - Bah! I like this idea so I'll go for it.

Rhenmyr quickly advances down the stairs and attempts to shield bash one on the monsters backwards down the stairs.

Question

How should I roll that up?

 

[nikolokolus]

Borric readies his boot-blade, and sets his maul at the ready to only parry attacks.

OOC

So noted. You are fighting defensively. You are +1 to AC and -2 to-hit for the round (only Fighters get the Fighter's Parry skill from the book)

Question

How steep is the staircase?

edit - Bah! I like this idea so I'll go for it.

Rhenmyr quickly advances down the stairs and attempts to shield bash one on the monsters backwards down the stairs.

Question

How should I roll that up?

OOC

A couple of things: The staircase leads down at a somewhat gentle angle toward the chamber where everyone else is at. Secondly, a shield bash could be your normal attack. It will inflict blunt force trauma and 1d3 points of damage (+/- Strength modifier). Used as a weapon in this manner you are basically fighting with two weapons, so you get no defensive bonus from the shield, but you are +1 to-hit with whatever weapon you choose to make your attack with.

There aren't any "shield bash" rules per se in S&W, but I assume you might be trying to overbear one of the ghoulies? If that's the case, then ignore what I posted above and use the rules from page 41 of the core rulebook:
Grappling (or overbearing) an opponent is resolved as follows: the attackers (or attacker) make individual to-hit rolls. The grapple is resolved among those who hit: each combatant rolls 1d6 per hit die. If the sum of the dice of all the attackers is higher than the defender’s total, the hapless defender is competely pinned and can be killed in the next round unless help arrives or the victim manages to break loose before the knife falls. If the sums are exactly equal, everyone is struggling and none of them can attack with a weapon. If the defender wins, the attackers are beaten back and stunned. They remain stunned for a number of rounds equal to the number of points by which the defender beat them. For example, if five orcs attempt to overwhelm a fifthlevel Fighter, each orc rolls to hit. Let us assume that two of them succeed on the to-hit roll. The orcs roll a total of 2d6 (each orc has 1HD), and the Fighter rolls 5d6 (the Fighter has 5HD). The orcs get a total of 10, and the Fighter gets a total of 15. Each orc is tossed aside and stunned for 5 rounds.

 

[Grimgravy]

Question

Down toward the others? That doesn't fit what I thought.

Cormac, Ker, Marcan, and Borric should be through the double doors to the north with the snake thing. Rhenmyr, Brule, and Urash should be where I've got it marked unless I've read things wrong. Which is entirely possible. As for my proposed attack, it definitely isn't overbear. I wanted to knock one down the stairs as an environmental hazard, but if I've misread the map/situation it may be better to just stab it with my spear.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Spoiler

Bit of clarification: I plan to use only the boot knife to attack, and the maul to ward off/block attacks by the snake.

 

[nikolokolus]

Question

Down toward the others? That doesn't fit what I thought.

Cormac, Ker, Marcan, and Borric should be through the double doors to the north with the snake thing. Rhenmyr, Brule, and Urash should be where I've got it marked unless I've read things wrong. Which is entirely possible. As for my proposed attack, it definitely isn't overbear. I wanted to knock one down the stairs as an environmental hazard, but if I've misread the map/situation it may be better to just stab it with my spear.

Answer

It might be my fault. If I recall correctly, I thought you said you had fallen back to the archway, but now I think I get what you had in mind. So it's perfectly fine to say that you blocked off the top of the stairs you have indicated, in which case the baddies are indeed below and trying to come up the stairs.

You and everyone else are now +1 to-hit because of higher ground. I don't really have a rule for what you want to do, but here's my ruling. Attack as normal with your shield, if you hit, then I'll roll a saving throw for the bad guy. You won't be doing damage, but you hit and it fails to save it takes a tumble down the steep flight of stairs.

 

[nikolokolus]

Spoiler

Bit of clarification: I plan to use only the boot knife to attack, and the maul to ward off/block attacks by the snake.

Answer

OK. If you need me to roll let me know.

 

[Grimgravy]

OOC

Adjust my attack modifier if I've erroneously combined your two responses.

Rhenmyr slams his shield into the nearest monster's face trying to knock it back down the stairs.

Shield Bash+2(Height and two weapon): [1d20+4] = 18+4 = 22

 

[nikolokolus]

Beastie: saving throw [1d20] = 7 vs. 14

As the two creatures begin shambling back up the stairs you surge ahead and smash into with all of your weight. It loses its balance and topples head over heals down the stairwell.
Beastie Saving throw to avoid getting hit by its ally [1d20] = 10 vs. 14
It slams into its comrade and also sends it tumbling down the steep corridor. You can clearly hear bones snapping as the clumsy creatures topple backward into the darkness. One of them now lies still and the other begins to rise awkwardly
falling damage: wounded ghoul [2d6] = 10, unwounded ghoul [2d6] = 7

 

[nikolokolus]

Meanwhile in the other room, the serpentine ghoul, uncoils itself and snaps its fanged jaw at Ker serpent-ghoul's target [1d6] = 3 (1-2 Borric, 3-4 Ker, 5-6 Cormac)

serpent-ghoul's bite [1d20+4] = 20+4 = 24 damage [1d6] = 2 (Critical hit!)

The creature sinks its fangs deep into Ker's flesh inflicting 6 points of damage (Helly, make a saving throw with +8 added to the roll)

 

[nikolokolus]

Borric kicks at the creature with his toe-blade Boot-blade [1d20+3] = 6+3 = 9, damage [1d4+2] = 1+2 = 3 but can't quite connect as it slithers away out of reach.

 

[Helly]

Saving throw [1d20] = 2+8=10

Spoiler

Forgot the +8, I added it manually

 

[Grimgravy]

"Huzzah! Vile beasts wont get by me!"

 

[nikolokolus]

Ker collapses on the ground from his wound. It's uncertain if he is still alive or not.

 

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

Cormac will grab Ker and pull him behind Boric and Maran to check his wounds and provide aid.

 

[Siveon]

"Ker!" Marcán growls, and lunges at the serpentine creature with all of his might.

Revenge!

To hit: [1d20 + 2] = 20+2 = 22
Damage: [1d8+2] = 7+2 = 9

 

[L'ennui]

Seeing the abominations crash down the stairs, Urash breathes a sigh of relief.

He hears the commotion and the strange hisses coming from behind him, and runs back to the room where he had left the others.

He stops dead in his tracks when he comes into view of the snake-thing. He stares at the scene, squeezing his staff but not knowing what to do.

Spoiler

I will go to the doorway and assume a defensive posture there.

 

[nikolokolus]

"Ker!" Marcán growls, and lunges at the serpentine creature with all of his might.

Revenge!

To hit: [1d20 + 2] = 20+2 = 22
Damage: [1d8+2] = 7+2 = 9

Spoiler

Nice! A crit!

Marcán continues his boisterous recitation and moves in from the side when the Serpent thing is otherwise indisposed with Ker and hews at it with all of his might. A moment later his falcata finds its mark and a gout of dark-green ichor starts spewing from the things grievous wound. Despite this, it still seems perfectly capable of continuing the fight.

 

[Siveon]

Marcán huffs. "There's more where that came from, beast."

 

[nikolokolus]

Round 3:
Borric & Rhenmyr
Critters
Ker
Brule, Urash & Cormac
Marcán

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Borric aims a kick to the face of the beast.
To Hit: [1d20+3] = 9+3 = 12
Boot Damage:[1d4+2] = 1+2 = 3

 

[Grimgravy]

Seeing one of the creatures pulling itself up and simultaneously heartened and concerned by Marcan's chanting filtering from the other chamber, Rhenmyr hurls his spear at the monster.
Thrown spear: [1d20+5] = 7+5 = 12, Damage: [1d6+2] = 4+2 = 6