Homebrew Testing: the Twisted Spire Group 1 (IC)

[Zaydos]

As Jacind tosses the 7th strip into a tunnel, movement can be heard in the tunnels. The odor that wafted from the tunnels grows thicker, an insect stench, as a vibrating thrum as if from the pounding of thousands of miniscule feet on stone comes to a crescendo. Tindamel sees it as countless living creature pour into his field of vision. Suddenly millions of cockroaches spill from the tunnels. They carpet the area, countless little biting creatures. A pair of giant cockroaches emerge from two tunnels on the western side of the node (1 and 10) each as large as their tunnels can contain. Four more, somewhat smaller the size of a dog instead of a wolf, emerge from tunnels about the chambers (2, 4, 8, 11).

One of the larger cockroaches rushes Tindamel, the other rushing Asok-Ver. The charging insects barrel into the warriors, a wave of stench coming with them and filling the entire node sickening everyone within other than Asok-Ver. The cockroaches bite Tindamel (9 damage) and Asok-Ver (10 damage), pulling Tindamel to the ground.

It is now Darya and Tindamel's turns (I'm going to assume you'd have Inertial Armor up, and what archetype would you have active?).

Spoiler: Node Map

Show

Spoiler: Initiative Counts

Show

Giant Cockroaches 18
Darya and Tindamel: 17
Cockroach Swarm 15
Jacind and Asok-ver 11
Not as giant cockroaches 10

Spoiler: OoC

Show

I assumed known of you were standing near the entry holes except Jacind because that would have been putting yourselves in extra danger.

The tiny cockroaches come in both "swarm" and an infinite "carpet of roaches" until its first action the swarm is hiding in the latter (Hide bonus +30, so unless someone can actually get +11 to spot I didn't feel the need to roll for it) though it will reveal itself by attacking when it does so.

The carpet of roaches increases the DC of Balance, Move Silently and Tumble checks by 2, and causes standing from prone to require a DC 10 Balance check (gonna say that's not increased by 2). They have some other effects but those you'll have to find out for your selves.

You are all sickened (-2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks) for 10 rounds, except for Asok-Ver (it was 2 DC 15 Fort saves, and 4 DC 13 ones, thankfully they don't stack; if anyone has a passive ability to resist or one that can be activated flat-footed let me know).

[Beelzebub1111]

Shocked by the appearance of the bugs, and a bit disgusted, Prince Tindamel will stand from the carpet of roaches, pulling his spine into its sword form as he slashes upwards on the large roach on top of him.

Taking an attack of opportunity here, I assume
Attack (crit threat 26-27) - (1d20+7)[27]
Damage - (1d10+4)[12]
Crit Confirm - (1d20+7)[27]
Crit Damage - (1d10+4)[7]

((EDIT: Sweet Christmas! Double 20s!))

[Zaydos]

Managing to stand, without being bit by the attacking roach, Tindamel strikes it with his sword a deep blow, parts of the roach's head splattering across him. The roach, one half of its head crushed, continues to snap its mandibles as it struggles to strike at Tindamel further.

Spoiler: OoC

Show

In 4e terms the roach is bloodied, in Baldur's Gate terms it's Injured possibly Badly Injured.

[Rendel Nep]

So that's an earth...by the gods they're everywhere! ...eeew. Darya says in a reaction ranging from curious to disgust.
Hold on! she says urgently before manifesting an astral construct.

Spoiler

Show

From a RP point of view I'd say the Craftman because it lends itself more to exploration.
As for the Astral construct, Darya will create a 3rd level one with the Improved slam attack.

[Zaydos]

As Darya focuses to bring forth an astral construct, thousands of cockroaches crawl up along Jacind covering his body, their bites ripping off little bits of his flesh (1 damage). He is not nauseated.

[Techwarrior]

Jacind dives back, brushing bugs off of his mail.

Should know better than to piss things off without drawing my weapon by now.

As he comes back to his feet, he pulls his longspear off of his back, hoping to fend the roaches off. Having flanked the roach the elf attacked, Jacind strikes with his own blow, furiously hoping to remember a weakness in these creatures chitin.

Spoiler

Show

Jacind dropped concentration on Detect Magic this round, but did he detect any magic beforehand?

Knowledge Check on roaches, with Collector of Stories (I have Arcana, Dungeoneering, Nature, Religion, and the Planes in case it's not a Vermin)
(1d20+7)[18] +7 if it's identified by Arcana, -2 from Nausea

Move Action: to a flanking position on the roach attacked by Tindamel.
Tumble (1d20+7)[24] -2 Nausea, -2 Roach Carpet
Standard Action: Attack flanked roach. If he detected any magic, he'll activate the Hunt the Mad Maneuver, targeting the creature with a Targeted Dispel with a Caster Level equal to IL (5).
Attack (1d20+8)[9] +2 Flank, -2 Nausea
Crit (1d20+8)[18]
Damage (1d8+2)[9] +5 if it is Inherently Magical

Stance:
Inquisitor's Stance (Mystic Eclipse 1, Stance)
Bonus Damage equal to IL vs magical creatures
Readied Maneuvers:
Hunt the Mad (Mystic Eclipse 3, Strike)
Attack Dispels Magic on the creature
Moonbolt Blade (Luna's Spirit 2, Strike)
Ray Attack with reflection of weapon
Mystic Knowledge (Mystic Eclipse 2, Counter)
Roll Spellcraft as save vs. magical attacks.

[Zaydos]

Jacind moves behind the bug striking at it and... misses horribly.

Spoiler

Show

No auras. They are vermin. Giant cockroaches are voracious omnivores which attack creatures with powerful mandibles tearing their flesh from them, they are often accompanied by smaller roaches and are capable of flight (you made the base DC but not the DC +5).

[Zaydos]

Asok-Ver raises his lightsaber slicing at the roach before him, the energy blade slicing through it (9 damage), before (5-ft) stepping away from his companions in case the swarm swoops down upon them.

Two of the four dog-sized roaches fly up into the air, as one moves to flank Jacind and strike at him but misses. The last approaches Darya mandibles snapping at her ineffectually.

The larger two roaches react, one biting at Tindamel again (8 damage) and trying, but failing, to pull him down into the mass of roaches below. The other focuses on Asok-Ver mandibles snapping into his leg (10 damage) and pulling him to the ground.

It is now Tindamel and Darya's actions.

[Techwarrior]

Jacind may have lost his footing coming out of his dive roll, but he was damn certain he wasn't going to let these bugs nipping at him.

What was that saying? You can never have enough fire?

Jacind, having no fire, instead viciously strikes out at the roach with his spear. Hopefully, that would be good enough for now.

Spoiler

Show

Attack of Opportunity (1d20+6)[19] -2 from Nausea included.
Crit (1d20+6)[17]
Damage (1d8+3)[4] -2 Nausea included.

[Zaydos]

The bug rushing towards Jacind is injured, noticeably, but not dead, the shell on one wing cracked and a hole in the corresponding wing.

Spoiler

Show

It's bloodied!

[Beelzebub1111]

Damn these things hit hard.
Tindamel will strike at the one that bit him with his spinal blade

attack - (1d20+9)[11] (including -2 sickened and +2 flank)
damage - (1d10+2)[11] (including -2 sickened)
crit confirm - (1d20+9)[15]
crit damage - (1d10+2)[5]

[Rendel Nep]

Darya surveys the situation and frowns. It looks like Tindamanel has become a chew toy to these bugs. She directs her construct to start mashing away with its over-sized maul like arm and moves in on Tindamanel to initiate some much need healing.

Lets fix you up, hmm? she says pressing her hand against his back.

Spoiler

Show

This is kind of tricky... not sure of the spot I'm placing the Astral construct, only where i would like to put it which is somewhere so its flanking any of our combatants. I'll just roll attack and damage on the assumption my Construct doesn't have flanking.

Attack (1d20+7)[15] Damage (1d8+7)[10]

Darya makes a move action to get behind Timandel and manifests empathic transfer on him.

Cautionary concentration check if needed (1d20+6)[13]
Empathic Transfer 3pp (2d10)[9] Darya takes half...yup

[Zaydos]

Tindamel's spinal misses the roach by an inch, as the astral construct appears striking at it the powerful blow sliding aside from its carapace.

The swarm does, apparently, nothing.

Jacind and Asok-Ver.

[Techwarrior]

Jacind curses under his breath, wishing he had any real damaging area spells. What he had would have to do.

He steps away from the combat, and holds his spear against the ground, as if to steady himself as he chants slowly. With a flick of his wrist, he evokes bright light, catching most of the massive swarm of bugs in it's area, but thankfully, none of his allies. Having cast his spell, he puts his ungauntled hand back on his spear, ready to keep the enemy at bay.

"Stay out of the light friends!"

Spoiler

Show

Free 5 ft. Step out of reach. If he can't get out of a threatened area, he'll take a move action to Tumble 5 ft. back
Tumble (if needed) (1d20+7)[16] Base 11, -2 Nausea, -2 carpet
Standard Cast Glitterdust DC 15 Will save or be Blinded, affecting both of the flyers and big bug B. He also attempts to tap the node again while casting.
Int (1d20+3)[6]

[Zaydos]

The flash fills the air. The roaches are coated with golden dust, and it is immediately apparent that one of the flying roaches becomes rather disoriented, and rather apparent that the large roach near Asok-Ver is as well.

[Zaydos]

Asok-Ver springs back to his feet, the carpet of roaches tearing at his flesh (4 damage) as he swings his lightsaber at the now blinded roach leaving a steaming wound across it (8 damage).

The flying roaches land near Tindamel and Asok-Ver (one each adjacent to them) and bite wildly one striking Asok (4 damage). The other two roaches continue to attack Darya and Jacind, shifting towards them as necessary but missing as well.

The large cockroach bites at its source of pain Tindamel, ignoring the construct behind it for now, missing, even as the other snaps blindly at Asok-Ver missing in its blindness.

This returns us to the top of the round with Tindamel and Darya, as well as her construct.

[Beelzebub1111]

"Damnable creatures of filth, die already" Tindimel strikes at the largest roach, hoping to finish it off

Attack - (1d20+7)[8] (I don't think I'm flanking anymore, but I believe that I am still sickened)
Damage - (1d10+2)[7]
Crit Confirm - (1d20+7)[27]
Crit Damage - (1d10+2)[5]

[Zaydos]

Despite the astral construct behind the roach serving as distraction, Tindamel's attack goes wide striking into a patch of roaches knocking aside a dozen of the thousands covering the ground.

[Techwarrior]

"The light's too bright for them! Push them into it!

Spoiler

Show

Can we get a sketch of the positions of everything, when it gets to my action I'm thinking of Bull Rushing one of the little buggers into the Glitterdust.

Edit: They are Small, right?

[Zaydos]

Spoiler: Map

Show

{table=head]A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
1|-|-|-|/|||||/|-|-|-
2|-|-|||||||||-|-
3|/||||||||||/|-
4|/|||||||||||/
5|/|||C|R|T|r|J||||/
6|||||r||D|||||
7|||||R|||r||||
8||||r|A|||||||
9|/|||||||||||/
10|-|||||||||||-[/table]
Technically there's more space at the bottom but it seems to be away from the combat (I could have cut off the top as well). This is mostly just assuming the group has avoided being in AoO range when casting (such as healing Tindamel)

/ half space (map has them)
r = little roach
R = big roach
T = Tindamel
J = Jacind
A = Asok
D = Darya
C = astral Construct
Swarm was last seen in bottom right, but will be back.

[JerichoPenumbra]

Asok-Ver groans through the pain as he tumbles past the roach and slashes at it with his lightsaber.

Spoiler

Show

Moving 9D to flank the roach with Tindimel
Tumble
(1d20+9)[17]
Attack
(1d20+7)[15]
Damage
(2d6+1)[9]

Edit: Forgot the +2 from flanking.

[Rendel Nep]

I guess wee need more firepower She remarks and her face's expression alters to something more wizened. her construct makes another strike at the bug

Spoiler

Show

Switching Darya's Archetype to the Magician.

Astral Construct attacks
Attack (1d20+9)[13] ( including +2 from flanking) damage (1d8+7)[15]
In case of Critical threat (1d20+9)[21]

[Zaydos]

As the astral construct misses the roach, Darya and Jacind can see a swelling in the carpet about them as it rises up the swarm sweeping over them (Swarm is in H6-8 and I7) biting them ((1d6)[3] damage to Darya, and (1d6)[6] damage to Jacind), even as Asok rolls towards the roach (4G good? Can't actually flank it) and misses it completely.

Darya and Jacind must make Fort saves DC 14 or be nauseated for 1 round.

And it's Jacind's turn (fingers crossed he makes his save)

[Techwarrior]

Jacind frowns slightly, wishing he could help with that.

"Firepower indeed. Some of us learned other arts... I hope you can do that and keep us from falling."

Instead, Jacind ducks and weaves past Darya, sneaking between the roaches and the psion. Having positioned himself on Darya's other side so as to protect him. Then he strikes at the roach that the construct and Tindammel have been attacking.

Spoiler

Show

Move: Tumble through H6 and H7, Jacind now threatens all of the roaches except the small (blinded) roach in E8. (He has a spiked gauntlet and a longspear.
Tumble: (1d20+7)[20] -2 Sickened, -2 Carpet. DC 15 vs roach in H5.
Tumble: (1d20+7)[20] -2 Sickened, -2 Carpet. DC 17 vs roach in I7.
Standard: Attack big roach in F5.
Attack (1d20+6)[17] -2 Sickened
Crit (1d20+6)[12]
Damage (1d8+2)[3]

[Zaydos]

Jacind agilely tumbles away from the swarm of biting pests that had flown up in a cloud around him, but his spear misses the roach entirely (I hate these roaches).

The blinded large roach snaps wildly missing completely. One small blind roach snaps at the astral construct and misses, and another snaps at the air. The little roach currently flanking Tindamel bites and strikes him (4 damage) but fails to pull him to the ground, the last small roach bites at Darya but misses.

The big roach continues to attack Tindamel and failing to strike.

Darya, Tindamel, and the Astral Construct's turns.

[Rendel Nep]

Darya briefly becomes poised to manifest some sort of power but is immediately beset by an overwhelming nausea while her Construct contines beating on the bugs.

Astral Construct Attack

Spoiler

Show

Attack (1d20+7)[10] Damage (1d8+7)[9]
In case of critical threat (1d20+7)[23]

[Beelzebub1111]

Tindamel spouts out a string of elven curses as he brings his sword down on the large roach.

Spoiler

Show

Attack - (1d20+9)[11]
damage - (1d10+2)[12]
Crit Confirm - (1d20+9)[18]
crit damage - (1d10+2)[10]

EDIT: His ancestors hang their heads in shame. This is the one that's supposed to avenge their bloodline?

[Zaydos]

As the construct and the warrior miss the roach, the swarm moves to cover Tindamel, a cloud of blight which swoops over him. Their biting mandibles tear into flesh as they crawl under armor (2 damage to Tindamel and Darya).

Tindamel and Darya need to make Fort saves or be nauseated. It is now Jacind's and Asok-Ver's turns, you can each roll twice and take the better result on attacks this round.

[Techwarrior]

Having seen the swarm close on Tindamel, Jacind smiles like a hungry wolf.

Finally, a chance for my skills to be of use.

Jacind's spear weaves his spear in and out of reality for a moment before a reflection of his spear bolts towards the swarm, imbued with arcane energy.

Spoiler

Show

Standard: Initiate the Moonbolt Blade maneuver while Spellstrike Channeling a level 1 Spell Slot.
Attack (1d20+3)[22] -4 in Melee, -2 Sickened, +1 Spellstrike 1
Roll 2 (1d20+3)[10]
Crit Confirm (1d20+3)[22]
Damage (1d8+2)[8] -2 Sickened, +(1d8)[7] Spellstrike

Immediate Jacind provokes an Attack of Opportunity from a small roach for making a ranged attack. If the attack exceeds his normal AC, he'll expend the Hunt the Mad maneuver to gain a +3 Deflection bonus to AC until the start of his next turn.

[Zaydos]

The bolt strikes the swarm scattering a large portion of it, but the swarm remains (bloodied).

The little roach misses completely.