HHHoHHaHH - Lyran Stokes

[Lubirio]

Looking around the dungeon desperately, Lyran looked around to see the skeleton's probably ancient backpack laying around. It seems to be full of something, but if it's useful is up to Lyran to decide.

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Yours.

And don't you have your sap still? (skeletons have DR bypassed by bludgeoning, you know...)

The skeleton was sitting on the backpack, so it's directly behind him.

Also, you picked up 5 of the arrows didn't you?

[Slamexo]

Seeing a walking skeleton standing between him and a backpack of potentially useful things, Lyran's eyes drifted to the torch in his hand.

Screw it, what've I got to lose.

With a mighty thwack, Lyran brought his torch down at the skeleton's head in hopes of something useful occuring.

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Sadly, skeletons like all undead are immune to the non-lethal damage of a sap. If you're trying to give me a break, then damn my pride.

Anywho, attack with a torch that you can or can't decide to count as an improsived club, feel free to deduct as necessary.

Attack roll: (1d20-1)[12]
Damage roll: (1d6+1)[6]

And tack on any extra damage you see fit for it being on fire and all.

[Lubirio]

The swing with the torch didn't do much to the skeleton, as it clanged off its shield. The skeleton, in response, made a swing of his own at Lyran, which missed by quite a ways as well.

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I'm not trying to give you a break, I'm brainstorming for you.

The torch, as you might have guessed, is under effect of a continual flame spell, otherwise it would only have lasted 2 hours.

The torch counts as an improvised light club, doing 1d6 damage on a hit, with -4 to hit.

Though you're lucky I didn't trap the door, that's what happened to Adder, he was fighting and tried to escape from the fight by going to the door only to find the door trapped.

Edit: I've got an idea: you could fight defensively (with a net -9 to hit), hope for natural 20's, and hope I don't roll them for the skeleton.

[Slamexo]

Preparing for a tough little encounter, Lyran decided to utilise a defensive tactic whilst he slugged it out with the undead.

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You're full of ideas. And dangerous player killing traps.

Fighting defensively for a few rounds until I die.

Attack: (1d20-9)[3]
Damage: (1d6+1)[7]
Attack: (1d20-9)[3]
Damage: (1d6+1)[3]
Attack: (1d20-9)[-2]
Damage: (1d6+1)[6]
Attack: (1d20-9)[4]
Damage: (1d6+1)[2]
Attack: (1d20-9)[5]
Damage: (1d6+1)[6]
Attack: (1d20-9)[11]
Damage: (1d6+1)[4]
Attack: (1d20-9)[11]
Damage: (1d6+1)[2]
Attack: (1d20-9)[7]
Damage: (1d6+1)[7]
Attack: (1d20-9)[6]
Damage: (1d6+1)[2]
Attack: (1d20-9)[11]
Damage: (1d6+1)[7]
Attack: (1d20-9)[-7]
Damage: (1d6+1)[2]
Attack: (1d20-9)[2]
Damage: (1d6+1)[4]

With any luck, I'll live with an AC of 18. Of course I won't.

And I was having fun too!

Well with any luck, Lyran might just survive until those crits take effect, although I forget if the attack penalty for defensive fighting applies to confirming crits. Probably does; feel free to roll for me or just nag me to do it.

[Lubirio]

Seemingly trading blows endlessly, the skeleton doesn't notice his opponents focus on defense and keeps battering away helplessly for a good half-minute. After a while, Lyran hit the skeleton twice, at which the skeleton also hit home. In the end Lyran scored another hit, at which the skeleton dropped, blasted into undeath.

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Written before rolling: You're lucky the torch is a bludgeoning weapon.

And after rolling: You lucky [foreign-curse-word-you-do-not-want-me-to-translate].

He hit you once for 4 damage. He's dead and you again get 300xp, this was no regular skeleton...

[Slamexo]

Breathing heavily after an otherwise intensive fight, Lyran took the oppurtunity to pat himself on the back for not dying, then headed over to the now revealed backpack to see what rewards awaited him. Assuming that whatever reward didn't take the chance to bite his face off, Lyran headed over to check the other door in the room.

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Hurrah for dumb luck.

[Lubirio]

The backpack contained a rope, a grappling hook, trail rations that were so old Lyran could barely recognize them as such, a bedroll, and an empty waterskin. Inspecting the door, Lyran discovered that it was neither locked nor trapped, and when he opened it, Lyran saw it opening up into a hallway going both ways, with the one on the right a dead end, and the one on the left there was a portcullis on the far side of the wall.

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The rope is 50ft long and made of silk, and the bedroll is made for a medium creature.

[Slamexo]

Trying the various items, Lyran realised that anything of use would be exerting more weight on himself than would let him retain as much mobility, and tiring him out.

I should've lifted more weights as a child.

Leaving the contents for later retrieval if necessary, Lyran moved over to the porticullis stealthily and looked for whatever may have lurked on the other side.

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Stupid weight limits and movement affecting things.

Spot: (1d20)[12]
Move Silently: (1d20+8)[28]
Hide: (1d20+8)[23]

Question: if someone was plannin' on multiclassing next level for whatever reason, what're your opinions on such a matter.

[Lubirio]

Looking through the portcullis, Lyran sees several undead seemingly at work, they have several wares laid out in front of them, on various tables and counters. Looking at them, Lyran can't quite figure out what they are, but he can see they aren't as mindless as some of the undead he's encountered. They seem to be in conversation with each other, arguing perhaps and don't seem to notice Lyran as he peeks through the portcullis.

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There's 5 undead, two tables, and one counter. make a knowledge dungeoneering check to identify the undead.

I believe I've said I frown on dipping. I don't disallow it however, and anything is fair play as long as it's from the sources I haven't banned. I do use multi-class penalties to further discourage dipping.

[Slamexo]

Weird; it's like they're preparing something.

Seeing no initial way to infiltrate the room from his current point, Lyran turns around to leave when he spies the dead end point of the corridor.

How strange that someone would build a passage with nothing on the end...

Suspecting it may conceal more than it initially appears to, Lyran begins searching up and down the dead end corridor.

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Shame Lyran lacks knowledge (dungeoneering) to make the trained only check.

[Lubirio]

Further inspecting the dead, Lyran finds nothing of note and goes back to the portcullis.

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Not sure what you were trying to do beside take 20 on seaching the dead end...

[Slamexo]

Well, this situation is somewhat inevitable. I better stop and think things through.

Lyran was about to go backtrack through the dungeon, when he remembered the zombie that was in his way the night before.

Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place.

With not much else to do, Lyran decided to stay hidden between the porticullis and the undead, staying quiet until something interesting happened. After all, they couldn't just stand there forever.

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My bad, forgot to be clear about that.

Anywho, Lyran'll hide behind the porticullis until something interesting happens, or enough hours pass for him to get bored and decide nothing interesting is going down; say about four or five.

Hide: (1d20+8)[16]
Spot (Just looking around the room really, but feel free to apply it elsewhere.): (1d20)[6]

[Lubirio]

Undead as they were, they stood there, unloading some goods from bags occasionally at regular intervals, and waited there, motionless as only undead could. As Lyran looked into the room closer, he didn't have much better to do, he saw that the wares laid out by the undead seemed in perfect condition, brand new as they were only in a shop.

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Taking 20 on your spot check reveals the room to be a shop. They sell and buy anything under 400gp in price.

Their starting attitude is indifferent, if you want to know.

Also, since you decided to wait so long, the time is now about 2pm.

[Slamexo]

Deciding that he was safe enough behind the porticullis, and not curious about the fact that these undead seemed intelligent enough, Lyran decided to speak up.

Oi! Zombies! What're you doing there?

[Lubirio]

One of the undead looked up at being spoken at, and approached the portcullis, and began to speak in an offended tone. "We are not zombies, mortal, we are above them." Suddenly changing posture to reflect a businessman's look, the same undead spoke again, "Would you like to view some of our wares? We have much that might interest a fine archer like yourself."

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Still indifferent.

If you want to know, they're necropolitan, though Lyran does not know this.

[Slamexo]

Now confused as to why undead are running a shop, Lyran shrugs and decides to take advantage of the offer.

"What the hell; I knew there was a reason I carried money anyway.

Got anything particularly interesting? Like potions that will make me less dead?

Actually, hold that thought whilst I go grab things to sell to you, if you buy and such."

Lyran then took this oppurtunity to head back and grab all the possessions off the skeleton he had defeated and its backpack for selling, making multiple trips if necessary.

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I know that it's essentially everything under 400 gp, but give me a moment to decide on stuff whilst they let him in or decide to steal from him or such.

Also, I don't even know what a necropolitan is anyway.

[Lubirio]

Seeming to wonder where Lyran was going, the undead opened the portcullis after much effort, and let him in, saying, "We have arrows, potions, all kinds of stuff, though somewhat limited in our price range, what with being in this damned dungeon and all." Clearly the undead have never been outside this dungeon, and they buy all the stuff Lyran gets for them, eagerly putting it in sacks.

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Assuming you sell absolutely everything, you get 14pp and 5cp from them, or 140.05gp.

For healing potions, might I suggest a potion of Faith healing? it heals 9hp to followers of a specific deity, and costs 50gp, as it is a 1st level cleric spell.

[Slamexo]

Shopping for various things of varying use, Lyran eventually finished his purchases and decided to see if he couldn't learn anything useful whilst he was there.

"So, as a customer to a merchant who could theoretically make more money by surviving longer which he would spend her, do you have any tips or notes about this here dungeon I may find handy? If I'm remembering right, this passage is kind of a dead end."

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Too bad Lyran's an atheist. Stupid shooting self in the foot repeatedly.

Anyway, shopping list!
~ Dagger (2gp)
~ Club (Although there's no listed price, just deduct however muc the zombies feel they can extort if they have anything that'll work. Otherwise just ignore this one.
~ Enough arrows to have 20 of 'em again, which I'll just call 3gp.

Also selling that leather armour, and buying some padded armour instead to increase carrying capacity for everyone's benefit, but mostly Lyran's.

And a diplomacy check as needed. (1d20-1)[13]

[Slamexo]

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Forgot the 4x potions of cure light wounds, one of which Lyran'll drink immediately for (1d8)[6] healing, add on whatever caster level the maker was.

[Lubirio]

The undead either don't seem to care or don't want to answer Lyran's questions, as they look up in unison, then look down again and get the man's stuff for him. "We do not know of things outside of this room, I am sorry."

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Clubs are free, they do 1d6 damage, weigh 3 lbs and can be thrown with a range increment of 10ft. You are proficient with a club.

That's all you buy, nothing else?

Edit: they cost 50gp each and are Caster level 1st, you get healed 7hp for the first one.

Edit2: no more than 20 arrows?

[Slamexo]

"Hrm, that's a shame. Can you at least tell me who you work for?

Oh, and some more of those arrows please."

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Now that Lyran has more space for carrying, more arrows are viable without making mobility suffer.

Another 20, at that.

[Lubirio]

Looking somewhat surprised at being asked who they work for, the undead tells Lyran a little irate, "But we work for the omnipotent X'Challa, surely you must know that!" After the retort, the undead took another quiver full of arrows out from under the counter and gave it to him, accepting the money in exchange.

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Try pronouncing that.

You about ready to get going again?

[Slamexo]

"I have no idea who that is, but I'm sure you have better things to do than to spread religious knowledge."

Giving the undead a small wave goodbye, Lyran proceeds to exit the store and return through the passage he initially came through unless something nasty occurs en route or something has visually changed. When arriving at the door he escaped the undead through, Lyran shall take the chance to press an ear to the door and listen for the sound of shambling corpses.

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Hohum, where to go now...

Listen check: (1d20)[10]

[Lubirio]

Listening at the door reveals nothing of particular interest to Lyran, and keeping his ear there for a somewhat longer time, he still doesn't detect anything suspicious.

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Taking 20 on listen there for you.

[Slamexo]

Still cautious despite his lack of any audible dangers, Lyran will keep his dagger at the ready before gingerly shoving the door open. If nothing appears imminent, he will take a few cautious steps into the room and the next one after that.

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You're so thoughtful.

Checks for whilst on the move:

Spot: (1d20)[2]
Listen: (1d20)[12]

[Lubirio]

As Lyran opened the door, the zombie he'd faced before suddenly sprang to life at his entering, and looked murderous, the arrows half-gnawed as he'd tried to eat them.

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If you don't move, you don't make a sound.

You win init, no surprise rounds.

Map:

| = Wall/unexplored
- = Door
. = Empty space

|||||
L...-
|...|
|..Z|
|...|
|...|
|||||

[Slamexo]

You sod! I'm going to cut your face open now to teach you a lesson in being a pain in my arse!

Lyran, now quite annoyed to be faced with the undead yet again, rushed towards the zombie with the intention of giving it a good slice with the dagger.

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ATTACK!!!

L shaped move towards the zombie so as to end up north of it (near the door for a quick escape) without provoking attack of oppurtunity, followed by an attack of deadly slashing death.

Attack: (1d20-1)[7]
Damage: (1d4+1)[4]

[Lubirio]

Slow as Zombies are, it didn't dodge Lyran's attack so much as Lyran just missed. Swinging its club around slowly, the zombie hit Lyran in the face with it, creating a clear bruise where is made impact.

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Miss, his attack hits for 4 damage.

Also, for easy reference, could you post your current HP and AC in every post while in combat?

[Slamexo]

Grunting at the large bruise across his face, Lyran continued his slash fest on the undead foe.

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GRR!

HP = 3
AC = 15

Attack roll: (1d20-1)[15]
Damage roll: (1d4+1)[4]

[Lubirio]

Lyran slashed at the undead's face, only to be met by little resistance, much less than he'd experienced with his arrows. A deep gash was left on the zombie's cheek, which apparently made him weak to retaliate and his attack clattered off Lyran's armor harmlessly.

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Yours hits, and his misses.