The Ninth Adventure

[dtspurrier]

bilfur will not use his sling and comment, " these creatures are from the elemental plane of earth and are not native to this world, so destroy them"

[mushgnome]

Round 1

The nimble hobbets strike first. With a mighty blow, Wilbur sends one of the vilstraks flying.

"Come on you two!" Ginger barks at Fiona and Douglas. The hirelings go running up the hill, and Ginger cuts down a second vilstrak.

The rest of the party tries their best, but their attacks fail to penetrate the vilstraks' stony hide.

The 4 surviving vilstraks attack Willie and Dame Simonetta with fist, knee, and elbow strikes, but the experienced hobbets are able to fend off the attacks and keep their footing in the loose gravel.

Beppo and Robur blend into the shadows and creep into position for a backstab on Round 2.

The party druids Bilfur and Noh hold fire with their slings to avoid hitting their friends.

Any additional instructions for the next round of combat?

Hope no one minds if I move this along...

Party wins initiative 6-4
Beppo hide check 1d6=5, success
Robur hide check 1d6=4, success

Attack rolls:
Dame Simonetta 6
Willie 3
Wilbur 15, hits for 6hp (kill)
Kiplyn 6
Ginger 17, hits for 6hp (kill)
Douglas 11
Fiona 11

Vilstrak attacks:
vs Dame Simonetta 15, 9
vs Willie 6, 11
all miss

[kipper]

Dame Simonetta calls for the skill of Athena as she continues fighting!

[rredmond]

If there is room Noh will move in and take thwak with his cudgel, clicking at Carc to keep him calm!

Not the situation for an Entangle spell methinks. I say we hit the lower levels, bigger monsters, bigger treasure, bigger rewards

[dtspurrier]

Bilfur stows his sling and not wanting to use the power of his staff, pulls out his cudgel and will try to melee one of these things. He will delay until end of round to move up and attack ( taking his time switching weapons)

[kipper]

This slope has been a problem for us nearly every time we traverse it (if not actually every time), it's just as well we won't have to do it if we return weakened from Level 3. If the party decides to head to level 3, once we get to the top of the slope we can head for entrance #14 on the map, that will leave us a (hopefully) relatively clear route back to the surface when we return.

[ehiker133]

I mean... it doesn't look like you guys got very far in a week. I'm back, though not exactly "safely". We all caught some crappy bug (not COVID) down there. I had to try and drive 15 hours back home feeling like Bantha poo doo. But I'm mostly back.

Dougal attempts to hide in shadows so he can backstab in the next round.

[acodispo]

Willie: "Come on you thugs! Go back to wherever you came from!"

The bold (and quite peeved) hobbet, tired of being attacked at every turn, lays about him with his hammer, determined to finish these guys off!

This slope has been a problem for us nearly every time we traverse it (if not actually every time), it's just as well we won't have to do it if we return weakened from Level 3. If the party decides to head to level 3, once we get to the top of the slope we can head for entrance #14 on the map, that will leave us a (hopefully) relatively clear route back to the surface when we return.

This sounds like a plan.

[mushgnome]

Round 2

While the party has the vilstraks outnumbered and surrounded, the monsters' rocky hide makes them difficult to kill.

Beppo, Robur, and Dougal (having successfully hidden in shadows on Round 1) attempt to backstab the vilstraks. Beppo and Robur are successful, killing 2 of the remaining 4 vilstraks.

Bilfur finishes off a third vilstrak with his cudgel.

The last surviving vilstrak gives up and attempts to meld back into the rock.

Will you attempt to grapple the vilstrak, or allow it to escape?

Beppo 17 hit for 11hp
Bilfur 19 hit for 4hp
Robur 18 hit for 10hp
Dougal 5 miss
Willie 13 miss
Dame Simonetta 7 miss
Wilbur 5 miss
Kiplyn 1 miss
Ginger 16 miss
Douglas 13 miss
Fiona 6 miss
Noh 11 miss

The last vilstrak checks morale 2d6=4 and attempts to flee.

[kipper]

Dame Simonetta is fed up with these nuisances, she will attempt to grapple the last stone-creature and hold it out to be destroyed by the others. She is wary, however, that the creature may try to pull her into the rock with it, and if she notices this is happening she will release it and pull herself out before the stone-blending magic fades.