Immersive Ink

Dougal ponders Willie's plan for a moment, then says, "Seems more likely that WE will forget about them on our way out and get jumped when we might be injured and limping back home. I say we take them out now to be on the safe side."

Dougal launches a stone at one of the creatures.

Dame Simonetta can see how Willie's plan might work, but ultimately agrees with Dougal's assessment that the danger outweighs the benefit. She votes for killing them now, and will join in the slinging.

bilfur will determine if these creatures are natural to the world, if they are he will ask the group to cease fire. If these creatures are not then he will use his sling

Kiplyn squints at the dead one. "We always get jumped on the way out, let's not willing do that to ourselves. I say we clear them now."

dtspurrier wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 05, 2022 6:37 pm

bilfur will determine if these creatures are natural to the world, if they are he will ask the group to cease fire. If these creatures are not then he will use his sling

(1d6=3)

Bilfur fails to identify the stalacritters. Dungeon Level 3 is deeper underground than he's ever been in his life.

Robur just fires his sling hoping to hit a monster stalactite as opposed to a real one.

The piercers are well-armored (equivalent to plate armor) so it takes a few rounds, but the party is eventually successful at killing all 12 of them. (They do not have any treasure, but it's an easy 1,200xp.)

OOC: I hope nobody minds that I breezed through this combat. The piercers have no chance of success, so it would be tedious to narrate the battle blow-by-blow. Going forward I will assume you scan the ceiling for piercers as part of your 'standard operating procedure.' From the DM's perspective I consider piercers in the same category as green slime: a hazard to parties that are careless or hasty, but essentially 'free xp' if you are cautious and patient. In other words, going forward I will give piercers merely the standard chance of surprise any monster would have (5-6 on 1d6) as opposed to the whopping 95% chance of surprise as specified in the Monster Manual entry.

Moving on to the north, the Hobbets find themselves in a large, irregularly-shaped cavern (with no sign of piercers on the ceiling). There are 10' wide exits to the west and southwest. To the north and northeast, there are several 'tight squeeze' tunnels (that might remind you of the rat lair on dungeon level 1, but a little bigger).

The party encounters 4 giant spiders! They are as large as the Spider-Goat but lack any goat-like features (they are wholly spider-like). The spiders seem to have captured something even bigger than they are, which they are busy cocooning in silk. (You catch a glimpse of a shaggy white paw.) The spiders and their prey are located near the tunnel heading west. They are engrossed in their web-work and fail to notice our Heroes approaching from the south.

1d6=6, the party achieves surprise! What will you do?

Willie whispers: "Launch a volley! And then pull back -- who knows, they may be poisonous. Let's kill them from afar!"

He hopes to draw the spiders away from the whatever-it-is, in case the whatever is still alive!

bilfur will try to recognize what these spiders are and if they are poisonous

the he will use his sling

dtspurrier wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 06, 2022 4:23 pm

bilfur will try to recognize what these spiders are and if they are poisonous

(1d6=1, failure)

Bilfur fails to identify the specific spider species. As general knowledge, he knows that most spiders do produce venom. It's just a question of whether or not the venom is powerful enough to harm a Hobbet.