The Ninth Adventure

[ehiker133]

Dougal takes a place behind the front line, ready to step up should his help be needed.

[mushgnome]

Since this looks dangerous if Bilfur still has his faire fire spell available he will cast this instead

I rule yes: Bilfur already cast Faerie Fire (vs the Xvarts) using his 1 spell slot per day, but then he levelled up. So now that he is 2nd level, he gets a 2nd spell slot, and can re-cast Faerie Fire.

A reminder that we are now using "spontaneous" casting house rules. Druids don't have to memorize spells each day; they can freely cast from their spell list.

Combat incoming... this is tense!

[mushgnome]

Skelly Crock Battle round 2

Bilfur waves his hands, wiggles his fingers, and begins to chant the ancient druid rhyme of Faerie Fire. The melee hobbets know this is their cue, to feint and parry until Bilfur's spell takes effect, to maximize their odds to-hit. The skeleton is slow and lumbering. Our heroes dodge back and forth, waiting for the moment to strike.

Meanwhile Kiplyn and Robur prepare a contingency plan: If necessary, the party will fall back to the mush room, where Robur and Kiplyn will spring their ambush from the shadows! As they step into the mushroom room, they immediately realize two things are very wrong: 1st, the plate-sized mushroom caps are incredibly slippery; 2nd, while the carpet of mushroom caps is level and gives the appearance of a 'stable' floor, in reality the floor isn't level at all! The mushroom stems are unequal length, so that the mushroom caps are all on the same level despite the floor being uneven.

Robur stubs his toe on something hard and lumpy concealed under the mushrooms. Kiplyn does that double-take: this floor is not entirely stable! (Like when you're carrying a laundry basket up the stairs, you think there is one more step, and your foot steps into thin air.) Nimble hobbets that they are, both keep their footing, but only just barely. They realize it would be dangerous to fight the skeleton in here; like balancing on top of a buttery, syrupy stack of pancakes!

Back to the melee: Bilfur's spell takes effect (no saving throw!) and the giant cave crocodile skeleton becomes a sparkling giant cave crocodile skeleton! (Color of Bilfur's choice.)

Dame Simonetta, Wilbur, and Willie know that the moment to strike is now! Willie just misses, but Wilbur hits (thanks to Bilfur's spell!) breaking off several rib-bones with his crowbar. Dame Simonetta would have hit spell or no spell; with expert skill she clocks the skeleton right in the noggin, with all her might.

Two direct hits from the party's best fighters, and yet the skeleton fights on! Once again it targets Dame Simonetta, but this time she is ready, and sidesteps the croc's lumbering attack. Its jaws clomp down on the empty air where she was standing a second ago.

This round goes to our heroes. But the slippery mushrooms are a troubling discovery: there could be pit traps, snares, snakes, who knows what, camouflaged under the overlapping canopy of broad, slimy mushroom caps. Do the mushrooms grow this way naturally, or has someone cultivated them like that intentionally as a trick/trap? More immediate question, what is the plan for Round 2? Another melee attack from Willie, Wilbur, and the Dame? Or try another strategy?

Melee attacks vs AC8 (at +2 due to the Faerie Fire)
Willie 6, miss
Wilbur 8, just barely hit for 6hp!
Dame Simonetta 20, hit for 6hp!

Skeleton vs. Dame Simonetta 2, miss (maybe it's distracted by the sparkles)

Robur save vs. slippery mushroom catastrophe (wands), 16, success
Kiplyn save vs. slippery mushroom catastrophe, 11, success

[Bastet1002]

"Oh, shireless empty-bellied crypt-dwelling moldy bread!!" curses Robur loudly. "For muck-rats sake! Maybe we better just try to flame that thing if our sling stones won't work. Maybe if there is a way to wrap a flaming cloth around my spear thingy, setting the tip on fire, and throwing it over the head of my friends into that carrion!"

Robur moves back to a position behind his friends to reassess the situation.

Behind his friends, does Robur have a clear shot (or a good chance to make a clear shot) to try throwing a flaming javelin at the skeletal crocodile without igniting his friends? If so, he would like to try that...

[coffee]

Wilbur presses the attack, now that he has something that will damage the thing.

[mushgnome]

Behind his friends, does Robur have a clear shot (or a good chance to make a clear shot) to try throwing a flaming javelin at the skeletal crocodile without igniting his friends? If so, he would like to try that...

First of all, firing into melee is never safe. Secondly, we know from experience the skeleton is immune to javelins.

[mgtremaine]

Kiplyn moves carefully out of the mushroom'd area. He draws his dagger and waits for an opening in the fighting to strike (or pull someone to safety)......

[kipper]

Dame Simonetta holds her position and strikes again at the skeleton!

[rredmond]

Could Noh cast shillelagh on the Dame's sword?
If not maybe we can draw it into the mushrooms and trap or entangle it.

[Bastet1002]

Robur casts shillelagh (if he hasn't cast a spell yet today) on the mushrooms to maybe lure the crocodile thing there.