Expedition to Castle Ravenloft IC 2

[stack]

Unsure of how to proceed, Brom keeps talking, "As you have not immediately attacked us, I thought perhaps you would be amicable to a few questions. There are matters we must attend to here and as we do not know who you are, it seems presumptuous to attack you. We are looking for a garden, if you know the way and can give us directions, then we can leave you to your business."

[Kish]

"Leave, leave..." he muses. "No, you never leave. You stay here." He lunges forward as Brom's shield flares. The three skeletons collapse to the floor as the man deals Brom a mighty slash with his greatsword (23 damage to Brom).

Spoiler

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Brom's readied action goes off as the man charges him.
Turn Undead check: (1d20+7)[26]
Damage: (2d6+12)[20] X 1.5 = [30]
The man's attack: (1d20+13)[23](2d6+15)[23]
Map; the man is now one square east of wherever Brom is. Place yourselves accordingly.

(Gallard's sword: The glow fades.)

PCs' turn.

[stack]

Brom stumbles under the blow, taking it heavily on his armor before attempting to return the favor, then stepping back to clear a path for the more martially inclined.

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Guess I'll take H14. That was a hefty hit. Updated sheet to reflect magic vestment on shield and armor, still gets hit.

attack (1d20+9)[25]
damage (1d8+3)[11] (magic weapon)

attack (1d20+4)[13]
damage (1d8+3)[9]

5' step to G14

[Vetril]

Gallard and Jonnel waste no time: as soon as the strange man threatens their friend, they move to provide support.
Jonnel is quick on his feet and positions himself behind the enemy, directing his blade to the legs.
Gallard tries to bind the enemy's blade with his own so that he can deflect it for the time needed to inflict two blows with his magical sword: one to the chest, and the second to the head.

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Gallard and Jonnel were on the door, so I'd say H13 for Gallard and H12 for Jonnel. I assume the enemy is at I14.

Jonnel - moves to K14 to flank (can avoid AoOs), then attacks the man (power attack 2): (1d20+9)[27], (1d10+4)[11].

Gallard - full attacks the man from H13: (1d20+13)[29], (1d10+3)[8]; (1d20+8)[9], (1d10+3)[11].

[Ionbound]

Elena steps up to take Brom's place before the man, raising her morningstar to strike as she says, "Cease this. Now."

Spoiler: OOC

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Elena was a G13, stepping up to H14 to swap with Brom once he moves back.

Full Attack: (1d20+8)[20], (1d20+3)[7]
Damage: (1d8+3)[10], (1d8+3)[8]

[Kish]

Ivyn casts a spell at the man as Gallard, Brom, Jonnel, and Elena all hit him, Gallard and Elena jostling for position in front of him. Ireena fires three arrows at him in rapid succession, all of which lodge in his torso somewhere. He steps backward into the center of the room, switching his greatsword to his right hand while his left hand pulls a small bottle from his belt pouch and he drains its contents.

Spoiler

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(1d20+13)[26](1d20+13)[21](1d20+8)[15]
(1d8+4)[5](1d8+4)[12](1d8+4)[8]
(1d20+10)[17]
Map.

(Gallard's sword: Not glowing.)

PCs' turn.

[Vetril]

Gallard quickly eyes Jonnel. They rush forward, entering the room.

"Get him!"

Jonnel raises his shield and tries to slip to the right. His sword is held horizontally to provide increased protection.

"What are you, left-handed to wield a sword like that? Or are you just clueless?"

Likewise, Gallard does the same, maneuvering to trap the enemy swordsman among him and his companion. As soon as he is in position, the knight directs a diagonal cut to the enemy's arm, hoping to cause a wound that will prevent the stranger from wielding his weapon effectively.

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Jonnel goes first.

Jonnel - total defense, moves to J15, provoking an AoO.

Gallard - moves to J13 (provoking an AoO) and attacks the swordsman - I am not sure if Jonnel provides flanking bonuses, since he is using total defense: (1d20+11)[24], (1d10+3)[11].

[Ionbound]

Elena steps forwards, swinging her morningstar at the man, saying, "I warned you. Now die."

Spoiler: OOC

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Move to I15

Attack: (1d20+8)[28]
Damage: (1d8+3)[9]

[Kish]

As Gallard and Jonnel move into position, Elena steps up and strikes the enemy a mighty blow, and Ireena fires three more arrows, of which two strike him and one seems to glide off an invisible shield at his throat. He crumples to the floor.

Spoiler: OOC

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Since Gallard and Jonnel were described as acting at the same time and hitting after Jonnel took the AoO-provoking movement, once I determined that even without Gallard's hit your group put out enough damage this round to down him, I decided the best way to describe it was that he was downed before either of them could get into position--figuring Vetril would prefer Jonnel keep ~25 of his hit points over getting to have one of his characters strike the death blow. Let me know if I was mistaken.

Spoiler: Treasure

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The robed skeletons have nothing. The fork-tongued man has a chain shirt, a greatsword with Brom's blood on it, a cloak, an empty flask, and an extremely ornate red leather belt. The chain shirt and greatsword are obviously masterwork.

(Gallard's sword: Not glowing.)

[Ionbound]

Elena smiles grimly as the man falls to her blow and Ireena's arrow. She utters a brief prayer of detection, eyes glowing with divine magic as she looks around the room and at the fallen man, looking to see if there are any magics at play here.

Spoiler: OOC

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Cast Detect Magic, lingering for the full three rounds to determine the most information.

Spellcraft to identify auras: (1d20-1)[15]

[Kish]

Spoiler

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The belt radiates strong magic, though none of the other items are magical.

[Ionbound]

Elena leans over and picks up the belt, saying, "This is magic, nothing else. Ivyn, any idea what it is?"

[stack]

Brom draws a wand and tends his own wounds as the others gather the gear. "I tried to give them an alternative, thought maybe someone here is not a bloodthirsty monster. I suppose that ghost will be the only friendly face we find."

"Good to figure out what that belt is if we can now, otherwise we best not try to use it yet. Then on to the next room."

[Kish]

"Should be simple enough to identify. You still have the wand, right, Ivyn?" Ireena says.

[neoseph7]

Ivyn Nadirna

Yes yes. Of course. I've got it right here.

Ivyn will study the object using his own spellcraft and knowledge arcana before using the wand, just in case he can ID it without the added aid. But if he needs the wand he won't hesitate to use it.

Spoiler: checks

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Taking ten on spellcraft and knowledge arcana checks for 27's.

Here's hoping no more 85 hour work weeks. I'm getting too old for this.

[Kish]

Using a charge from the wand, Ivyn determines that the belt combines the effects of a Belt of Giant Strength and an Amulet of Health.

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It gives the wearer +4 Strength and +2 Constitution.

[stack]

"Good choices for our brave knights, I would say."

[Ionbound]

Elena nods and says, "It would explain how he was able to lift that sword, certainly. Here Gallard," as she offers the belt to the paladin.

[Vetril]

Gallard graciously takes the magical item.

"I will make good use of this", he assures. He wears it and secures it tightly to his waist.

"Let us proceed - we still have not found that garden, and time is running."

[stack]

Brom crosses the room to open the next door.

[Kish]

Fluttering torches in iron sconces light this stairway, though the light is dim and cold, and a chill wind rushes down the circling shaft. The stairway goes both up and down.

"Wait, wait," Ireena says. "Shouldn't you heal yourself before we go further? That looks like a nasty slash."

Spoiler: map

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https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...it?usp=sharing

(Gallard's sword: Not glowing.)

[stack]

(Already healed, used lesser vigor x2 from wand.)

"Onward and upward I suppose." Brom says as he lets the knights take the lead.

[Kish]

A door of delicately engraved steel stands opposite you, at the far end of a dark hallway. Flanking the door are suits of armor facing each other across the hall from the shadowy depths of two alcoves. The stairs continue upward to your south.

Spoiler: OOC

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Map; you're in 21, the suits of armor are A, the up-arrow and down-arrow are stairways as I continue to look for ways to make maps that communicate more information, and the dotted line to your west is the steel door.

(Gallard's sword: Not glowing.)

[Vetril]

Stepping out of the flight of stairs, Gallard stops to have a look at the surrounding environment. The knight offers some words of warning to the others.

"Remember those statues? Pay attention: these suits of armor might be some other kind of hidden guardians."

Judging by Jonnel's expression, he doesn't seem too fond of the memories of that particular encounter.

Spoiler

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Gallard uses Detect Evil to scan the hallway.

[Kish]

As Gallard speaks, his sword begins to glow.

Spoiler: Detect Evil

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Both the suits of armor radiate a moderate aura of evil.

[stack]

"Undead nearby, not surprising. Knock down the armor before it starts attacking?" Brom readies himself to deal with the dead.

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ready action to use greater turning if anything that looks undead shows up

religion to identify undead (1d20+10)[28]

turn (1d20+8)[20] (counts as level 9)
damage (2d6+15)[21] x 1.5

[Kish]

As a spectral hand emerges from one of the suits of armor, Brom's shield flares brightly. Both the suits respond with a soundless explosion of light.

A second later, everything appears once again as it did when you first reached the top of the stairs here. The glow from Gallard's sword fades.

[Ionbound]

Elena blinks as the hand emerges, and then Brom dispels it just as quickly. However, once she processes what just happened, she smiles and says, "Good job. Let's keep moving."

[stack]

"Try up, I suppose."

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same marching order, let's go up. I presume the garden will be open, but I don't know that IC or OOC.

[neoseph7]

Ivyn Nadirna

That was... Efficient. I'm following you Brom.