The Ninth Adventure

[kipper]

Dame Simonetta is of the opinion that we should first attempt to destroy the nest of spiders, so we do not have a constant threat at our backs.

Everyone who has a sling would prepare it and stand ready. One volunteer would burn webs with a torch, in an attempt to flush them out. If the volunteer would need to get close to the nest, then we'd need one or two additional bodyguards ready for melee to protect them (while everyone else stands by ready with slings). Dame Simonetta would volunteer to be a bodyguard. She is also open to any suggestions which would improve upon this plan.

[mgtremaine]

Kiplyn would ready his sling and peer up trying to make out any shapes or movement.

[mushgnome]

OOC: I like where you're going with this plan, but you have to think more three-dimensionally. Now that you've seen the site from a few different angles, let me paint a better picture: There's a large, three-flanged stone column. It's a rough, natural formation with plenty of hand-holds for climbing. You can't tell from down here whether it's a stalagmite that ends in a tip, or a column that goes all the way to the ceiling. The spider lair is "up there somewhere." You can infer the lair's position by the silk strands: Imagine a giant Maypole on a foggy day, with the ribbons converging toward the top of the pole, lost in the clouds out of sight. For Dame Simonetta's "volunteer to get close to the nest" plan to work, the volunteer would have to be climbing (and potentially fighting one-handed, if it came to it). As far as burning the strands to flush out the spiders, that hasn't worked well in the past. The silk is vulnerable to fire, and can be destroyed by torches, but it doesn't spark up like lighting a fuse; the flames don't race in to center and the whole thing goes 'poof.' The purpose of these radiating single strands seems to be, not so much for snaring prey, but for the spiders' own mobility. From what you've seen, they are clumsier on the ground compared to moving around in their own web. Burning the web inconveniences the spiders (and maybe pisses them off) but it's not a deadly threat. They're probably up in their nest, thinking, "Look at those a-holes down there, who do they think they are?" They can make new web, so they're not going to fight to the death to protect a few strands.

[kipper]

OOC: I was thinking/hoping that burning the strands would annoy them enough that they would come out to stop us, not that it would ignite the nest. If there are no strands down near the base of the pillar, then we definitely do NOT want to have someone climb up there. I still think we should burn the strands though, at the very least it will slow the spiders down and give us some warning when they leave the nest (because they will need to spin a new strand, unless they crawl down along the ground instead). Could we see anything from that ledge to the south? It does give us a bit of elevation, but might still be too far from the nest?

[mushgnome]

OOC: Good thinking; keep brainstorming. You did get a good look at the spire while you were on the south ledge. Triangulating the different angles, you would guesstimate that the spider lair is probably 100' off the floor, give or take. Putting on my spider thinking cap: You know what I would do if I were bigger than any other bug in the cavern? I would build a funnel-web at the top of the column, where it joins the ceiling, so any curious prey that wanders up the column would have a one-way ticket to my belly. These giant spiders seem to have a type of intelligence or cunning (like children of Shelob). They're probably eavesdropping on this conversation, and think it's adorable that you think you're hunting them!

As a design note, the reason I put so many three-dimensional features like this in the dungeon, is because we have 5 excellent climbers in the party. I'm not necessarily implying here and now is the right time and place to use those skills, but in general, I do like to give the players opportunities to use their various class features.

[rredmond]

OOC: agreed on NO ONE climbing up there... at least not yet But how far up can we see? I don't want any spiders dropping on us either!

[mushgnome]

OOC: Just to 'troll' you a little bit, Giant Spiders are treasure type C in Delving Deeper, which includes 33% chance of gems, 33% jewellery, 17% any 2 magic items.

[dtspurrier]

Bilfur will volunteer to burn the webs

[Bastet1002]

"I'll help guard Bilfur," said Robur. "But somebody better keep an eye on the hirelings. It's no time for any foolish heroism. This is looks deadly!"

[mushgnome]

DM's ruling: There are approximately 100 webbed 10'x10' squares and 12 hobbets. If everybody grabs a torch and pitches in, I rule it will take 8 turns to clear all the spider webs from the south end of the cave (100 square feet per hobbet per turn). This will expose the party to 4 wandering monster checks, in addition to the potential wrath of the spiders.

If some of the hobbets are keeping guard while others are burning web, then it will take proportionally longer than 8 turns. A good-sized single-family home is about 2,000 square feet, so imagine how long it would take you to clear 5 houses of cobwebs.

Do you proceed with the plan?