Test Of Spite Dungeon Direct, Special edition [3.5]

[Sir Giacomo]

This is really strange. Maybe there is something in the castle to do first. Remember the seemingly endless desert where Tina also was forced back to our original spot? We had to dig then. Maybe we have to do that again in the courtyard. Or was there any other hint? Taya, what was written on the scrolls again?

[Pharaoh's Fist]

"They detect secret doors. I suppose we could use them to find any hidden chambers in the castle, if there are any."

[Saph]

So, is the plan to search the castle? If it is, give me some Search checks, plus any others you care to make.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Well, we don't have many other options.

Out of idle curiosity, what's the portal we came in through like on this side?

[Saph]

There doesn't seem to be one. You just appeared in the courtyard, as though by a teleport effect. If you ask Jaya, she'll tell you this is normal for one-way portals.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

"Very normal, in fact. Just like the Teleport Spell. I say we root around in the dungeons. There's always things in dungeons. Like dragons."

[mostlyharmful]

Ok-so... searching an entire castle is going to take a while. I suggest we resist the temptation to split up.

Search modifier on Tina is +21 and it looks like we'll be taking a lot of 20s.

How detailed do you want this search to be Saph? Is it alright if we just take twenties and you give us the layout until something is likely to happen or do you want us to build suspence and not get the ooc hint of when opening a door is likely to blow up in our faces?

[Saph]

Either one is fine by me. My descriptions are sometimes important, sometimes flavour, and sometimes random stuff off the top of my head, so you can either ask for detailed information and try to guess which is which, or just ask me to fast forward and I'll do whichever you prefer.

In this case, you spend the morning searching the castle thoroughly, and after several hours you're fairly sure you've found a way out. At the end of a corridor in the centre of the castle is a largish door. It's locked, but Tina's able to open it, and after checking for traps you swing it open to reveal a blank wall. Jaya, however, after inspecting the wall, is able to determine that it's another one-way portal. Walking through will take you elsewhere . . . though you've no idea where 'elsewhere' is going to be.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

"Ok, that's the only way out, so I hope we're prepared. Spartacus, get your armor up. Scooby, Shaggy Doc and Dog buff. Tina... do whatever it is you do."

[Sir Giacomo]

This starts to have a certain pattern ... maybe someone is testing us.

Anyhow, if this continues indefinitely, I'll run out of mage armours sooner or later*. But for the time being, I'll renew the mage armour on me and also on Doc.

Then, Jaya, maybe you could turn us all invisible - if someone is again waiting in ambush on the other side, maybe we can be better protected this way? Also, we should all step through the portal - one after the other. I could go first and thus maybe create a diversion (for instance, when others come after me invisibly).

Also, Doc, can you magically create water? I am running down on water supplies - for tomorrow I'd need your help (or we find water somewhere). How are the others getting along with supplies?

ooc: *question @Saph - do we have the DMG one-shot-adventure rule for 20% charges only on wands and x5 for one-off items? Then maybe I'll start to ration a bit the mage armour wands ...

In case the party is ready to go (maybe after Jaya relearns/casts more invisbility spells), here are the UMD rolls for another round of mage armour spells lvl 2:

mage armour for Doc - (1d20+5)[6]
mage armour for Doc - (1d20+5)[6]
mage armour for Doc - (1d20+5)[21]
mage armour for Doc - (1d20+5)[13]

mage armour for Gladiator - (1d20+5)[11]
mage armour for Gladiator - (1d20+5)[9]
mage armour for Gladiator - (1d20+5)[16]
mage armour for Gladiator - (1d20+5)[10]

edit: dear me! It happened . 2 "ones" in a row. This means no mage armour this time, or we wait for a day (in case we wish to be better prepared, e.g. more invisibility spells).

[Pharaoh's Fist]

Perhaps you'd care to reconsider your statement about that occurrence being not likely?

"Well, I guess we can wait around and make preparations too. Did anyone see any mundane tools or useful objects in the castle, or is it stripped bare?"

[Sir Giacomo]

Perhaps you'd care to reconsider your statement about that occurrence being not likely?

ooc: I knew that this would come up , but as you said yourself, likelihood has little to do with when stuff actually happens. Let us see how it evolves over the next days, OK? The discussion on the odds has already been done comprehensively in the test of spite thread.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Wait, are we going through today or tomorrow?

Either way, my supplies should last us for the forseeable future, since I Create Water fairly easily and can gather food.

If we are sticking around for the day, survival - (1d20+13)[27]

[Sir Giacomo]

Then I'd say tomorrow. Any more ideas or magic how we could prepare ourselves for what awaits us beyond?
It could well be, though, that it's different this time - nothing at first, then an ambush somehwere else...or possibly at first creatures that could help us and which should not be made enemies too quickly ...

[Pharaoh's Fist]

"Fire. We need more fire."

Jaya adds one of the scrolls of Detect Secret Doors to her Blessed Book and waits.

[Saph]

ooc: *question @Saph - do we have the DMG one-shot-adventure rule for 20% charges only on wands and x5 for one-off items?

I've been assuming normal rules, unless you've been told otherwise by Tide.

[Saph]

And . . . wait a minute, you're all sitting around for 24 hours while you wait for Gladiator to be able to reuse his Mage Armour wand? Okay, I think I might start doing things differently here.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

And changing spells up. We wouldn't normally, but it's been about 3 days already anyways, and the area is pretty secure. Rushing ahead is more dangerous than waiting right now. In the future, I think that will change.

Shall we return to our old campsite? I can resecure it eaily enough.

When we're set in for the night, I cast Stone Shape to block off the enterance to the courtyard.

[Saph]

I was hoping that the message you'd take from 3 days doing nothing would have been "Okay, time to move on now", rather than "Let's wait a bit longer". :P Well, it's not really your fault for wanting to play things safe, I guess.

However . . . I'm supposed to be running this as a combat trial, and one of the assumptions of D&D is multiple encounters per day. I didn't do that for the first encounter because I wanted the party back together and to give you some time to get used to working with each other. But I think now you've had a long enough warm-up.

As soon as you turn away from the portal and take a first step back towards the campsite, you feel a flash from behind you and you're suddenly elsewhere.

Everyone roll initiative.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Init - (1d20+6)[25]
Dog's Init - (1d20+6)[14]

[Pharaoh's Fist]

Initiative: (1d20+7)[15]

"Zoinks! What was that?"

[Sir Giacomo]

What the ...

initiative - (1d20+6)[16]

AC is 23 currently, 21 flat-footed. Appearance is again that of a tall, old wizard. AoO range of spiked chain is 20ft.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

"Psst! Wizards don't wield spiked chains!"

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Should someone roll for Tina?

Also, is my Mage Armor still up, or have we burned through it?

Barkskin lasts 4 hours, so it should still apply, correct?

[Saph]

Let's see, how long would it take to search through a forest and a castle . . .

I'll roll for it. (1d4+1)[3] hours have passed since you cast your buff spells in the morning.

Edit: OK, you might as well roll for Tina. I don't think her character has any initiative options that require decisions.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Tina's Init - (1d20+7)[11]

So Gladiator and Dog still have Barkskin. Dok and Glad are missing Mage Armor. Dok still has Longstrider, and Dog still has GMFx3. Got it.

[Saph]

OpFor: (1d20+3)[7]

[Pharaoh's Fist]

"Jinkies! We're being attacked!"

[Sstoopidtallkid]

"Jinkies! We're being attacked!"

"Zoinks! Run for it, Scoob!"

[Saph]

Loading new area, please wait.

Complete: 11%