Megadungeon D (IC) II

[Thundercracker]

Xander takes a 5’ Step to the west and maintains concentration on his spider swarm.

[King Tius]

Gudrun

The Tiefling woman stays put to help cover the party's retreat to the choke point. She readies an attack to strike at the first centipede that comes into range.

Greatsword: (1d20+7)[25] for (2d6+5)[12] damage

[Malimar]

Tiv-Beckett Cold Iron Mines

Jeffery Withdraws into the previous room!


Gudrun readies a swordin'!


Ranssyn steps south, and misses both centipedes with Melinda and his horns!


Julius and Melikki step east, and the dog makes ready to attack anything that comes near!


Xander steps back and concentrates!

The spider swarm swarms! It chews up a Tiny and a Small centipede, which die!


The Huge centipede attempts to eat the spiders, and fails. Then, curious about the noses within the tunnel, it moves right up to the tunnel entrance.

The remaining Tiny centipede steps up to Ranssyn -- and gets Gudrun's greatsword to the thorax, and it dies.

The two remaining Medium centipedes: 7 eats spiders, 4 tries to eat Ranssyn! It exactly bites him; Ranssyn takes 1 damage, and resists the poison excellently!

The Large centipedes: #3 is nauseated, and scuttles away from the spider swarm, to the north! #2 proceeds squeezing in the tunnel!

Spoiler: Map

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 #########
##,,#,,,,###
#,@,,,,,,,,##
#,,,,,,,,,,,#
##,,,,,,,,,,++
#,,,,,,,,,,,,#
#,,,,,<<,,33,#
#,,,,,<<,,33,#
#,,,,,,,,7s,,#
##,,,,,,sss,##
 #,,111,,,,,#
 ##,111,,,,##
####111,,###
#22**##### ###%
#2###### ###..%
#4*##.*###...##
##RG#.F.##.###
 ##.Lm*X...#
  ###..*#.##
    ##..#.#
     ####.##   ####
      ###..##  #..#
      #.....#####.##
     ##.<<==========
     #..<<..########
     #.....##
     ###.###
       #.#
      ##.#
      #..#
      #.##
      #.
      ##

# = tunnel wall
% = collapsed tunnel (impassable)
+ = wall of centipedes (passable with a Strength check, but gross)
. = tunnel floor
, = centipede-covered floor (difficult terrain)
= = minecart rails
<< = lift (south) or spiral staircase (north) up
@ = small heap of dried poop
* = defeated foe

F = Jeffery
L = Julius
X = Xander
G = Gudrun
R = Ranssyn
m = Melikki the dog
ss = Xander's spider swarm
111 = Huge centipede
22-33 = Large centipede
4, 7 = Medium centipede
C = Small centipede
c = Tiny centipede

[Thundercracker]

Xander held his ground and his concentration. There should be more centipedes, where were they all?

[DrunkMongoose]

Ranssyn

Ranssyn over steps a bit while swinging Melinda and the centipede is able to bite his hand. He grimaces and shakes the bug loose. He uses his pain and anger to fuel his attack and angrily slashes at the large centipede. While continuing his retreat he swings his head trying to headbutt the medium centipede.

Spoiler: COMBAT ACTIONS

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Ransynn attacks Medium Centipede #4 with his Ramhorns(secondary attack) and attacks Large #22 with Melinda. He then continues his movement south by taking his 5 foot step.

[King Tius]

Gudrun

With no centipedes currently adjacent to her, Gudrun fires a Ray of Frost at the closest centipede and then falls back to just "south" of Melikki's current position to have some cover in the choke point.

Ranged Touch Attack: (1d20+4)[24] for (1d3)[1] cold damage

[Jopustopin]

Julius

The mongrelfolk moves just north of Melikki and readies an action to attack if a centipede gets within range.
Melikki readies an action to bite if a centipede gets within range.

[theterran]

Jeffery

Jeffery moves south to just behind Julius to get a better view of the choke point.

"I guess I should try and help..." he mutters. Then he begins to sing.

Spoiler: Lyrics (if you're interested)

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Ever feel like dying, ever feel alone,
Ever feel like cryin', lost child in a store,
Ever feel life pushing, shoving you away,
Ever feel like breaking down, funeral in the rain
Feel like slipping away

Stand in the corner and scream with me,
A body full of empty,
A head that's full of rage, better believe it!
Stand in the closet and scream with me
A mind that's like a fire,
Driven by the pain, better believe it!

Ever feel like lying, down inside a grave
Listen to the eulogy, a buyer of the hate
Ever dance beside the devil, taste the barrel of a gauge,
Ever pull the trigger, the light begins to fade
Feel like slipping away

Stand in the corner and scream with me,
A body full of empty,
A head that's full of rage, better believe it!
Stand in the closet and scream with me
A mind that's like a fire,
Driven by the pain, better believe it!

I've asked you for forgiveness
I've asked you for your grace
I've asked you for your blessing
I've asked that I be saved

Stand in the corner and scream with me,
A body full of empty,
A head that's full of rage, better believe it!

Stand in the corner and scream with me,
A body full of empty,
A head that's full of rage, better believe it!
Stand in the closet and scream with me
A mind that's like a fire,
Driven by the pain, better believe it!

Stand in the corner and scream with me,
A body full of empty, a head that's full of rage
Better believe it
Driven by the pain, better believe it!

Spoiler: Mechanics n Stuff

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Perform Sing - (d20+8)[9]

Activating Dragonfire Inspiration. All attacks now gain 1d6 Sonic damage.
Oddly enough, does anyone know if this applies to the spider swarm Xander summoned?

[Malimar]

Tiv-Beckett Cold Iron Mines

Jeffery moves back up a bit and sings a lovely song! Everybody's blades begin echoing and wailing when they swing and when they strike!

Spoiler: OOC

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I'm going to rule that the spider swarm is unaffected because it is not an ally -- it'll as readily attack the party as their enemies, depending on who's closest. (If this were regular Inspire Courage, it would also be unaffected because it is immune to Morale modifiers, but DFI is not a Morale effect.)

All allies gains 1d6 sonic to all damage rolls!


Ranssyn effortlessly Melindas the Large centipede, a critical hit! Rupture Adominal Cavity: Double damage and 1 Con bleed. 27 + 5 sonic damage! The centipede practically explodes. Then he tries to bonk Medium #4, but misses it. Then he steps back.


Julius and Melikki ready attacks!


Xander concentrates!

Xander's swarm swarms over Medium #7 and Large #3! The Large one dies, the Medium one is almost down!


The Huge centipede readies an attack!


Gudrun pews Medium #4 with a ray of coldness! A critical threat! But sadly not a critical hit. +2 sonic damage! Which doesn't kill it. Then she moves back a bit (she can't move exactly where she wanted to because Jeffery got in the way).


The Medium centipedes! #7 is Nauseated, and skitters away from the spider swarm! #4 steps after Ranssyn, tries to bite him, and misses!

Spoiler: Map

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 #########
##,,#,,,,###
#,@,,,,,,,,##
#,,,,,,,,,,,#
##,,,,,,,,,,++
#,,,,,,,,,,,,#
#,,,,,<<,,s*,#
#,,,,,<<,,s*,#
#,,,,,7,,ss,,#
##,,,,,,,,,,##
 #,,111,,,,,#
 ##,111,,,,##
####111,,###
#****##### ###%
#*###### ###..%
#.*##.*###...##
##4.#L..##.###
 ##R.m*X...#
  ###FG*#.##
    ##..#.#
     ####.##   ####
      ###..##  #..#
      #.....#####.##
     ##.<<==========
     #..<<..########
     #.....##
     ###.###
       #.#
      ##.#
      #..#
      #.##
      #.
      ##

# = tunnel wall
% = collapsed tunnel (impassable)
+ = wall of centipedes (passable with a Strength check, but gross)
. = tunnel floor
, = centipede-covered floor (difficult terrain)
= = minecart rails
<< = lift (south) or spiral staircase (north) up
@ = small heap of dried poop
* = defeated foe

F = Jeffery
L = Julius
X = Xander
G = Gudrun
R = Ranssyn
m = Melikki the dog
ss = Xander's spider swarm
111 = Huge centipede
4, 7 = Medium centipede

[DrunkMongoose]

Ranssyn

when the medium centipede lurches forward to bite, Ranssyn uses Melinda's shaft to deflect the centipede's advances.

"This one just doesn't know when to quit. He's got lucky so far, but this bug's luck is about to run out." he grunts as he side steps a bit and gives a deep swing with Melinda toward the centipede's body.

Spoiler: Combat Actions

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Ransynn takes a five foot step east and attacks Medium Centipede #4 with with Melinda.

[Jopustopin]

Julius

"The only one left the huge one?" Julius asks. "Let's just let our entomancer deal with 'em."


Julius acts before Ranssyn - he would have done the same action as last round (ready an attack).

[King Tius]

Gudrun

Gudrun also readies an attack (and will continue to do so until a 'pede gets in range). The spot she's standing in now is as good as any.

[theterran]

Jeffery

Continuing to sing, Jeffery stores his longspear and draws out his bow.

[Malimar]

Tiv-Beckett Cold Iron Mines

Jeffery continues to sing, stows his spear, and pulls out his bow!


Ranssyn steps east, and strikes the centipede with Melinda, who issues an echoing wail and the centipede dies!


Julius and Melikki continue to have attacks readied!


Xander concentrates on his spiders!

The spider swarm crawls over to Medium #7 and the Huge, and kills the Medium centipede!


The Huge centipede tries to shake spiders off itself, and tries to eat them, but no matter how many are eaten, there are still too many more.


Gudrun continues to ready an attack!


Subsequent Rounds


Everybody continues to keep their attacks readied and Xander continues to concentrate on the spiders, as they listen to the mammoth hissings of the Huge centipede as it gets slowly bitten to death.

The centipede can't get away, and can't hurt the spider swarm, and the spiders can't fail to hurt the centipede, so after several rounds, the noise quiets. A few rounds after that, the swarm of spiders comes 'round the corner, seeking more living prey, and Xander stops concentrating on them and they poof back to where they came from.


Victory! Each party member gains 405xp!


A bit less than a minute later, Ranssyn resists the secondary effect of the poison from the one that bit him.

Spoiler: Map

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 #########
##,,#,,,,###
#,@,,,,,,,,##
#,,,,,,,,,,,#
##,,,,,,,,,,++
#,,,,,,,,,,,,#
#,,,,,<<,,,*,#
#,,,,,<<,,,*,#
#,,,,,,,,,,,,#
##,,,,,,,,,,##
 #,,***,,,,,#
 ##,***,,,,##
####***,,###
#****##### ###%
#*###### ###..%
#.*##.*###...##
##*.#L..##.###
 ##.Rm*X...#
  ###FG*#.##
    ##..#.#
     ####.##   ####
      ###..##  #..#
      #.....#####.##
     ##.<<==========
     #..<<..########
     #.....##
     ###.###
       #.#
      ##.#
      #..#
      #.##
      #.
      ##

# = tunnel wall
% = collapsed tunnel (impassable)
+ = wall of centipedes (passable with a Strength check, but gross)
. = tunnel floor
, = centipede-covered floor (difficult terrain)
= = minecart rails
<< = lift (south) or spiral staircase (north) up
@ = small heap of dried poop
* = defeated foe

F = Jeffery
L = Julius
X = Xander
G = Gudrun
R = Ranssyn
m = Melikki the dog

[Thundercracker]

Xander

“Actually that went... pretty well all things considered,” Xander said, sounding somewhat surprised.

He stepped carefully into the chamber and poked the corpse of the huge centipede with the tip of his harpoon.

“Isn’t there a reward for killing these things?” he asked.

[King Tius]

Gudrun

"Agreed. The choke point was an excellent idea, and the spiders proved almost too effective. I wanted to see what my spells would do to those monstrosities."

Gudrun moves into the room, sword at the ready in case there are any hidden survivors. She glances at the pile of poop but won't use her sword to search through it.

[theterran]

Jeffery

Following the others, into the room, it takes a moment for Jeffery to realize he's still singing. He abruptly stops and the quiet immediately assaults his ears. Storing away his bow, he draws back out his longspear and begins using it to search the corpses.

"Well that was a bit, anti-climactic...room full of centipedes taken down by a few little spiders..." he says to no one in particular, mostly talking just to cut through the quiet.

[Thundercracker]

Xander
“Don’t forget the killer dog,” Xander added.

“There’s another gross wall of centipedes over here, shall we burn this one too?” he asked.

[DrunkMongoose]

Ranssyn

He follows Gundun into the other room and helps to scan for any remaning threats. After hearing Xander mention another Centipede wall he moves over near him.

"We got any more oil or just leaving it alone? "

[Malimar]

Tiv-Beckett Cold Iron Mines

The party enters the room full of big dead centipedes, their boots and shoes crunching on Fine-to-Diminutive mostly-live centipedes.

In a heap of centipedes, Ranssyn happens to spot a big stick! Pulling it from the heap and shaking it off, he sees this is a staff made of twisted locust wood, with dark spots resembling crawling insects (which don't shake off, but occasionally seem to move). This staff is Item #21.

Spoiler: Map

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 #########
##,,#,,,,###
#,@,,,,,,,,##
#,,,,,,,,,,,#
##,,,,,,,,,,++
#,,,,,,,,,,,,#
#,,,,,<<,,,*,#
#,,,,,<<,,,*,#
#,,,G,,,,X,,,#
##,,Lm,F,R,,##
 #,,***,,,,,#
 ##,***,,,,##
####***,,###
#****##### ###%
#*###### ###..%
#.*##.*###...##
##*.#...##.###
 ##...*....#
  ###..*#.##
    ##..#.#
     ####.##   ####
      ###..##  #..#
      #.....#####.##
     ##.<<==========
     #..<<..########
     #.....##
     ###.###
       #.#
      ##.#
      #..#
      #.##
      #.
      ##

# = tunnel wall
% = collapsed tunnel (impassable)
+ = wall of centipedes (passable with a Strength check, but gross)
. = tunnel floor
, = centipede-covered floor (difficult terrain)
= = minecart rails
<< = lift (south) or spiral staircase (north) up
@ = small heap of dried poop
* = defeated foe

F = Jeffery
L = Julius
X = Xander
G = Gudrun
R = Ranssyn
m = Melikki the dog

[Jopustopin]

"Each centipede in this room is worth a copper piece. So imagine walls of copper pieces and this entire floor littered with copper coins." Julius says while munching on something. Something you strongly suspect to be centipedes. "The dog sized ones to the horse sized ones are worth a silver and the huge one is worth a gold piece."

"I think that we could strike a deal with them; perhaps instead of counting them out all miser like we can just torch the place and get an estimate. Let's search the place for valuables they may want to claim and then bring one of them to survey the place."

[Thundercracker]

Xander peered around the room with detect magic active to see if anything glowed.

[theterran]

Jeffery

"Should we attempt to squish all of the little ones? I'm not entirely sure that igniting a large fire in an enclosed space is the best idea, especially considering we're in close proximity..." he says to Julius, frowning at the thought.

"Still, can't hurt to have a look around..." he says, more to himself at this point.

Spoiler: OOC

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I feel like there's something I'm missing with Item 21. Were missing items mentioned somewhere else and I'm just not seeing it, or is this a mystery to everyone else as well?

[King Tius]

Gudrun

"Allow me."

The tiefling woman approaches the swarm door and hefts her sword. Lightning begins to crackle down the length of the blade as she takes a swing at the wall of centipedes.

Melee attack: (1d20+7)[11] for (2d6+5)[10] slashing + (3d6)[10] lightning damage

[DrunkMongoose]

Ranssyn
Brushes the stick off and is about to look it over more closely but his attention is quickly pulled away when he hears Julius’s mention coin for the bugs.

"We sure these folks would pay up or at least pay us fairly if we don’t have real proof? Most people in my experience are cheap bastards that will try to screw you over if given the chance. Also anyone know anything about this or if it’s worth something?"

Ransssyn gently holds up the twisted piece of wood, and seems about to offer it to the others for closer inspection when His eyes dart over to Gudrun as her electrified crackling sword strikes at the wiggling wall. He then goes from causally offering the piece of wood, to abruptly tossing the stick to Julius, Xander, or Jeffery (who ever was closes and seemed to be interested in it)

"We can look at this after since we aint sure what is behind that wall of nasty critters waiting for us.

He readjust his grip on Melinda and goes over to give back up to Gudrun in case something is waiting just behind the wall.

Spoiler: OOC

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Yeah I dont remember anyhing about item #21.

[Malimar]

Tiv-Beckett Cold Iron Mines

Spoiler: OOC: Items

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Oh, sorry, I forgot to explain the item number system to this group. When you find an interesting or unidentified item, for my records, it gets a number and goes into my list, so when you e.g. identify it later you can just say "we cast identify on that staff we found, you know, item #21" and I'll know exactly what item you mean. This also means that if an item happens to be cursed or something and you don't identify the curse, I can keep track of its (im)proper functioning that way, too. (You haven't found any other interesting items, but all parties share a list, is why this isn't item #1. (It would be item #100-something, but I did some cleaning on the list relatively recently, allowing me to start from 1 again.))

All you're expected to know yet about Item #21 is what I just told you in the last post.

Gudrun strikes the wall of centipedes with a ker-zap of lightning! Her sword itself does little, but the lightning penetrates into the bugs and many fall dead. Not enough to destroy the wall, but maybe a bit less than a third of the way there on the first 5' section.

If Julius (or anybody) searches the area, they find nothing of great interest beyond the staff. Dead centipedes and live centipedes and rocks and poop, that's all.

Spoiler: Map

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 #########
##,,#,,,,###
#,@,,,,,,,,##
#,,,,,,,,,,,####
##,,,,,,,,,,+++#
#,,,,,,,,,RG,#
#,,,,,<<,,,*,#
#,,,,,<<,,,*,#
#,,,,,,,,X,,,#
##,,Lm,F,,,,##
 #,,***,,,,,#
 ##,***,,,,##
####***,,###
#****##### ###%
#*###### ###..%
#.*##.*###...##
##*.#...##.###
 ##...*....#
  ###..*#.##
    ##..#.#
     ####.##   ####
      ###..##  #..#
      #.....#####.##
     ##.<<==========
     #..<<..########
     #.....##
     ###.###
       #.#
      ##.#
      #..#
      #.##
      #.
      ##

# = tunnel wall
% = collapsed tunnel (impassable)
+ = wall of centipedes (passable with a Strength check, but gross)
. = tunnel floor
, = centipede-covered floor (difficult terrain)
= = minecart rails
<< = lift (south) or spiral staircase (north) up
@ = small heap of dried poop
* = defeated foe

F = Jeffery
L = Julius
X = Xander
G = Gudrun
R = Ranssyn
m = Melikki the dog

[DrunkMongoose]

Ranssyn

Ranssyn checks to ensure he has a proper grip on Melinda and stands near Gudrun ready to attack any threat that might pass through the wall and come with in Melinda's reach.

"Gudrun, you going to hit it again? They didnt seem to like whatever your big fancy sword just did. "

Spoiler: OOC

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Ranssyn

....He readjust his grip on Melinda and goes over to give back up to Gudrun in case something is waiting just behind the wall.

Was just looking at the current map, if Ranssyn didnt have enough time to move over to Gudrun then he does so now.He also readies an attack for any threat that comes within reach.

[King Tius]

Gudrun

She surveys her work and shrugs. "I have several casting of the spell left, but I'll be depleted for the day. It may be better to head back to the surface and get some oil, given how effective it was before."

[Jopustopin]

Julius

"I can cast identify in the morning." He says holding up the staff Ranssyn gave to him. "Anyone casting detect magic on it?" He holds it in front of Xander who has detect magic going.

After finding out the answer, Ranssyn walks over to Gundrun, "Guess you're arcane firepower now. This is just a backway into here. The map had two ways into the place. I'm thinking we just get one of them to come down here and verify that the job is done and he can tell us how much they are gonna give us for the room full of centipedes."

With that he motions for Jeffrey to follow him as it's clear this is going to involve negotiating. Julius will make a trained appraise check for the room and assist on the negotiating price for all the centipedes.

He begins the journey up to find whoever is going to pay out the bounty and explain the terms (I.E.we're not counting out every single diminutive centipede for a copper and wants to sell them in bulk as an estimate.)

[Malimar]

Tiv-Beckett Cold Iron Mine

If Xander detects magic on the staff, he discerns that it is magical, with a Moderate aura. He has not the foggiest idea what school of magic is involved in the staff's magic, though.

Julius appraises the room!

Spoiler: Calculations

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I'mm'a say 100 fine/diminutive centipedes per square of rough terrain (including each square of stairs and the heap of poop): I count 117 such squares.

Plus 1000 fines/diminutives per section of bug-wall, of which there were 6.

Plus the like 6 more Tinys you killed who don't much matter against that 11700+6000.

Plus the like 6 Smalls, 4 Mediums, and 2 Larges you killed, for 1sp each.

Plus the 1 Huge you killed, for 1gp.

Tallies to 17,706ish coppers, 12ish silvers, and 1 gold.

Julius deduces that 180gp would be a fair price by the prices listed in the bounty. (Outside of the bounty, these bugs aren't worth much. You could maybe sell some carapaces to alchemists (as reagents or ingredients) or to dyers (grind 'em up into a low-quality maroon dye), and each individual centipede might be initially worth more to such vendors, but after a handful of centipedes sold in that way you'd flood the market even if you could find more than a couple buyers, and would ultimately make less doing that than you would from the mine's proprietors. Not that the miners are likely to want to keep the corpses, so you could maybe make an extra few gold selling the carapaces on top of the bounty, if inclined to haul bug corpses around.)


Then the party returns to the surface to have another chat with Wilf!

They tell the old mongrelman that they've cleared out the nest, and his gray eyebrows go up and he puffs a couple times on his pipe and then he tells them to wait here a minute. He goes inside, and returns with a few other mongrelfolks. The lead accountant and the lead engineer and stuff, probably, nobody looks authoritative enough to be the proprietor.

Then the mongrelfolk direct the party to go back down into the nest with them so they can inspect, and so everybody troops back down into the nest.

Back in the nest, the mongrelfolk consider all the crunchings of centipedes and the corpses thereof, they poke around, they make rough estimates. They agree that, now that the big ones have been cleared out, they can certainly have a team just come down here with a buttload of oil and light it all up, probably ending the problem for good.

In the end, the accountant, having succeeded at his Appraise check too, proposes, "We can offer 180 gold pieces and our thanks for your services."