(079) What a Gnome Knows

[Eris]

Freid will continue trying to loop around behind the attack and he'll call, "Follow me! We'll try to catch whoever it is from behind."

[waysoftheearth]

Did The Herald hear any of this, or are he and Zax continuing on?

The Herald heard enough to stop Zax, as you posted. This turn you can respond to the situation...

[Tonneau]

"Ya wot?" says Zax when stopped in his tracks. He cocks an ear and looks to the god-hugger for an explanation.

[sully]

The Herald says, Sounds like we're missing out on a scrap behind us. Let's go check it out before all the fun is over.

The Herald turns around and runs back the way he came.

[Tonneau]

Zax follows the long-legs

[flightcommander]

Akbar switches back to the arbalest and follows Fried the long way around.

[waysoftheearth]

Apologies for the tardiness folks; been a busy weekend with the family.

Okay, for the upcoming turn I have: Karl and Dopey doing a fighting retreat to the passage intersection in order to open a broader front (good idea). Meanwhile, Fried is leading a bunch of others through the servery door into the mess hall in order to circle around behind them (also a good idea). The ref is delighted to see any kind of "strategy" being used. Woohoo!

I will resolve all this tonight...

[mgtremaine]

Zem is trying to be at that "broader front" to help Dopey and Karl just to be clear.

[sirravd]

Gerhard, characteristically, keeps to the middle.

[waysoftheearth]

The Herald finds himself ahead of the more nimble Fried in the race to the mess hall, with Zax and Akbar now following. No sooner has he burst into the room than he notices a foul, hunch-backed hag awaits in the archway opposite. Her greasy black hair hangs like seaweed, near to the floor, along side withered, bone-pierced breasts and a totem-chain belt. "Luv-lee..." she wheezes and throws her wicked enchantment upon him...

Meanwhile, in the dim passage even greater peril awaits. Another hag--one-eyed and even more terrible than She already observed--lurks behind the preternatural fighters she has conjured, and now throws her spell. And just as Leudigar, and Wetzel have moved ahead of Gerhard and the skeletal horde are driving hard against them, Karl, Arian, Dopey, Leudigar, and Wetzel all topple into an evil slumber. 'Tis a piteous thing!

The undead marauders rush through the ensorcelled ranks of the smitten, slashing and tearing the fallen indiscriminately! Dopey, Karl, Leudigar, and Wetzel all take wounds enough to break the evil spell, Dopey and Leudigar losing their shield too. And all four finding themselves disarmed and scrambling to regain any semblance of a fighting position. But alas! Arian is torn down by skeletal claws and does not rise again.

Only when the terrible tide reaches Zem is it stemmed; the resolute Dwarf takes a stand, defending the softer sorts behind him; and finally two of the skeletons are destroyed in the fighting.

Back in the mess hall.... The Herald feels the hag's wicked magic slide off him, The Gods Protect Him!

Combat Turn Two

Firstly, the ref dices to determine what two spells each of the two Seers have memorised from a "short list" of six likely spells:
2d6=4, 6; so darkness, sleep
2d6=1, 5; so charm person, prot. from good.

The ref then dices to decide which Seer has the dreaded sleep spell; 1-3 = nearer Dopey, 4-6=nearer Herald.
1d6=2, so nearer Dopey. Rrrright.

Let the games commence!

Movement Segment
Karl and Dopey withdraw by 3", continually engaged by the mob of Skeletons, while Leudigar, Wetzel, and Zem pass Gerhard in the narrow passage. A dreadful hag emerges, scarcely noticed, in the passage behind the fighting.

Meanwhile, The Herald has less distance to cover, so he reaches the Mess Hall ahead of the very swift (and unarmored) Fried. Zax and Akbar are following behind them. The second hag awaits them, peering into the Mess Hall from the opposite arch.

Missile/Magic Segment
The players have no missile fire.

The first hag throws her sleep spell at Karl (Dopey being concealed by the Skeletons); 2d6+2=7.
The 7 nearest normal-types are in the area of effect; that is Karl and six others.
The ref dices to determine who is affected in the melee: 1-3=player, 4-6=skeleton; 1, 2, 3, 3, 5, 6, so four more players and two skeletons (the latter are unaffected because they don't normally sleep). So in total the affected players are Karl, Arian, Dopey, Leudigar, and Wetzel. That's Ouchy.

In the Mess Hall, the second hag throws her charm person spell at The Herald. The ref is undecided whether normal-types should have a saving throw, but can't see any words to the effect they don't. Therefore, The Herald's throw is: 1d20=19 By The Gods!

Melee Segment
There can be up to three rounds of melee this turn because melee was already joined at the start of the turn (S&S p17).

The Skeletons maraud through the ensorcelled line. The ref rules that they will hit automatically, without slaying automatically because they lack the intelligence to target vitals.

First Round
Skeletons hit Karl, Dopey, and Leudigar for: 3d6=2, 6, 5 hp.
1st level fighters ignore the first 1/2 normal hit each encounter (2hp).
Dopey -4hp, Leudigar -3 hp.

Second Round
Karl, Dopey, and Leudigar awake; prone; disarmed.
Skeletons roll to hit them; 3d20=12, 19, 10.
Dopey is hit; 1d6=2, +2hp ignored previously = 4hp; Dopey would be slain, therefore his shield is destroyed.
Skeleton automatically hits Arian 1d6=2 hp.
Skeleton automatically hits Wetzel 1d6=1 hp, but ignore first 1/2 normal hit so 0 hp damage.
Karl, Dopey, Leudigar re-arm (the ref assumes they carry handy sidearms for such occasions).
Arian -2hp, Dopey -4hp-sh, Leudigar -3hp

Third Round
Arian and Wetzel awake; prone; disarmed.
Skeletons roll to hit them; 2d20=17, 17 two hits. 2d6=3, 1 hp.
Arian -5hp, Wetzel -2 hp.
Arian had 4 hp so she is slain; Wetzel rearms (likewise assuming he carries a sidearm).
Skeletons attack Karl, Dopey, Leudigar, and Zem. 4d20=15, 3, 17, 4.
Karl and Leudigar are hit for 2d6=2, 3 hp.
Leudigar would drop to 0, so his shield is destroyed instead.
Karl -4hp, Leudigar -3hp-sh.

Finally, Karl, Dopey, Leudigar, and Zem are able to reply 4d20+1=11, 19, 11, 17 (DD Skeletons are AC 8) 4 hits.
4d6=2,3,1,4=10hp. Karl adds +1 for 11 hp (1, 6, 6 2, 4, 2, 1, 3, 6).

Two skeletons are destroyed.