The Grinder Group 2

[TheMeanDM]

Gregor, with blinding speed and a fury apparently fueled by the unnatural nature of this creature, powerfully pounds upon the garantuan beast with his magically enhanced club. The thorny spikes tear into the creature's flesh while the strong oak crushes it. Gregor yells at the beast, his voice eerily echoy, as if two people with a similar voice were talking at the same time. "Die you evil, vile *@$)% thing! Straight to HELL WITH YOU!" ***

Artan, the huge dire bear, roars in fury. His massive paws rake across the flesh of the thrashing beast. His large jaws clamp down upon the flesh, tearing gobs away.

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*** due to the Tongues spell, if the creature is intelligent and has a language, it understands Gregor.

TOTAL DAMAGE: 252
(200 club + 15 Sonic + 37 Fell Greatest Foe

All rolls made here:
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...=1#post3714024

Gregor's first full attacks:
#1
(1d20+48)[60]
Damage #1
(1d6+30)[31] + (1d6)[1] (sonic) + (2d6)[11] Fell Greatest Foe

#2
(1d20+43)[46]
(1d6+30)[32] + (1d6)[1] (sonic) + (2d6)[2] Fell Greatest Foe


#3
(1d20+38)[52]
(1d6+30)[36] + (1d6)[4] (sonic) + (2d6)[4] Fell Greatest Foe

Gregor's second set of full attacks (Dual Action Supernatural Ability)

Attack #1
(1d20+48)[64]
Damage #1
(1d6+30)[34] + (1d6)[3] (sonic) + (2d6)[3] Fell Greatest Foe

#2
(1d20+43)[53]
Damage #2
(1d6+30)[35] + (1d6)[3] (sonic) + (2d6)[9] Fell Greatest Foe

#3
(1d20+38)[47]
Damage #3
(1d6+30)[32] + (1d6)[3] (sonic) + (2d6)[8] Fell Greatest Foe


Artan the Dire Bear:
Rolls over here: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showp...80&postcount=8

Claw 1 attack:
(1d20+47)[64]
Claw 1 Damage:
(2d4+28)[36]

Claw 2:
(1d20+47)[58]
Claw 2 Damage:
(2d4+28)[33]

Bite Attack
(1d20+41)[52]
Bite Damage:
(2d8+17)[25]

Total Damage from Artan: 95

[Sxoa]

With a shudder and a thrash the creature dies, vile ichor pouring out into the dark water. Its great bulk no longer kept afloat by powerful muscles begins to sink downward like a stone.

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Good job you guys! I'm very impressed!

@themeanDM: I forgot about Chronotyryns and their duel mind ability! It didn't actually make a difference here as both you and the bear individually would have more than killed it. Anyways, while technically legal by the RAW I'm going to disallow that particular aspect of their form via DM fiat.

The in game reasoning for this is that you have a second brain, but not a second mind to occupy it. The second brain is essentially brain dead and in a vegetative state, though this doesn't hinder your actions.

The metagame reasoning is that I don't want everyone who shapeshift turning into one of these (as it takes out any variety which is of course the spice of life). Another issue would be that every sorcerous creature you fight could (and probably would) turn into one, which would be unbalancing in the other direction. Its not fair to only partially restrict it, so I'm toasting it in its entirety. You can still turn into a Chronotyryn and gain its other legal abilities.

[TheMeanDM]

Gregor chants the words to a spell, and the water in front of him coalesces into a vaguely humanoid form.

"Clean the water of this ink, quickly but safely." he instructs the creature.

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casting: Animate Water

Transmutation [Water]
Level: Druid 1
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: Cube of water up to 5 ft. on
a side
Duration: Concentration, up to
1 round/level (D)
You indicate a patch of water with a
hand shaking from pent-up divine spell
power, and the liquid rises into a vaguely
humanoid shape.

This spell functions like animate fire,
but you can instead animate a quantity
of water of at least 4 cubic feet into a
Small water elemental (MM 100).

[Seribro]

Still dizzy, shaky and felling awfully sick as if he had just been spinning for over an hour in a carousel with way to much beer in his stomach, he blinks to get his arcane sight and blind sense sharp again. All his companions still seemed alive, there was the blade barrier beneath him and a above was a ten ton creature coming... Oh crap...

[Toliudar]

Fiona

Still next to the still form of Memphis, Fiona takes hold of the wizard's struggling form. Feeling for his form coughing in the enclosing ink, she brings Pelor's blessings to him, and keeps hold, towing him downwards towards, but not into, the whirling blades.

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Casting a Cure Critical Wounds (auto-maximized as a Radiant Servant ability), so that Memphis regains 52 hit points. She moves down to 10' above the blades, trying to use her blindsense to spot the bottom, or an opening.

Ex Machina

Darting back down through the drifting tendrils of the tentacled creature, Ex Machina flies down to Memphis and Fiona and applies a simple blessing of Pelor to him.

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Dancing greatsword that has cleave and great cleave abilities - I thought maybe it could carve out a space.

If helpful, strength check for the Solar: (1d20+17)[36]

Just as an experiment, and to more solidly bring him back to the land of the living, converting Consecrate to Cure Moderate Wounds on Memphis. I'll roll in the OOC thread.

Edit: Now that Gregor's got the calamari, changing Ex Machina's Round 1 full round action.

[TheMeanDM]

Gregor shifts forms once more, this time assuming a huge humanoid form.

Using his immense strength, Gregor shoves the falling corpse as close to the ceiling and one of the side walls as possible.

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The only thing I'm using it for right now is it's brute strength.

Ocean Giant Mountain Giant
Huge Giant (Cold, Aquatic)

Abilities: Str 39, Dex 15, Con 28, Int 11,Wis 14, Cha 18

Enhanced Abilities:
Abilities: Str 55, Dex 25, Con 36, Int 12,Wis 34, Cha 22

Strength Roll:

(1d20+22)[34]

[Sxoa]

Previously on The Grinder...

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Quick recap to make sure everyone is aware of what is going on:
You all appear.
Initiative begins
Martina 29: Delays
Gregor 28: Delays
Ex Machina 6: Delays
Sympathy 24: Readies to Metamagic
Artan the Dire Bear 23: Delays
Saint Fiona the Unground 22: Delays
Freedom 21: Readies to Metamagic

SQUID DEMON 20: "kills" Memphis

Saint Fiona the Unground 19: Revivifies Memphis, (you can cast your quickened heal spell here too if you want).
Intellect 18: Readies to Metamagic, Raises Wardings as immediate action
Ranvor 13: Warmaster's Charge (Gregor, Ex Machina, and Artan all use immediate actions to participate)
Martina 13: Peppers with Arrows.
Artan the Dire Bear 13: Kills Beast, beast starts sinking*.
Gregor Glenfiddich 13: Shape Changes**, Kills Beast (although he can do something else if he wants, Artan can kill it)

Ex Machina: Starts carving up some calamari

Current Initiative Count

The following were stated before the beast got whacked ::tear::

Serenity 11: Readies to Metamagic
Joy 10: Readies to Metamagic
Fury 7: Readies to Metamagic
Teliron 6: Changes Shape (anything else?)
Weasel 5: No action Stated
Memphis 1: Fast Healing heals 3 points, raising him to consciousness if not already conscious from Fiona. CAN take actions.
END OF ROUND 1:

ROUND 2 Initiative Order:
Sympathy 24
Freedom 21

SQUID DEMON CORPSE 20: Sinks 30 feet down if unhindered

Saint Fiona the Unground 19
Intellect 18
Ranvor 13
Martina 13
Artan the Dire Bear 13
Gregor Glenfiddich 13
Ex Machina 13
Serenity 11
Joy 10
Fury 7
Teliron 6
Weasel 5
Memphis 1


*The beast starts sinking this turn, but due to the quantum sequential nature of D&D it will only move it's 30 feet next round.
** I'm presuming that Artan Kills the Beast and Gregor shapeshifts into an Ocean Giant (If an Ocean Giant Mountain Giant is not a typo what is it? Where is it from?) on his turn instead of a Chronotyryn, and begins trying to hold the creature up/push it to the side. Holding it up is based on carrying capacity modified by submersion in water.

Unmodified by favorable conditions, Gregor can lift 17024 lbs as a light load (the maximum for flying) with his new Strength of 55. 51200 lbs is the maximum heavy load which allows for a push/drag of 256000 lbs (128 tons). This means he can push the beast's corpse into the side of the cylinder, and make room.

[Toliudar]

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Fiona's first round action would have taken place on or about initiative 19, since she was delaying and acted as soon as she felt Memphis die. Especially since Memphis will come up to 1 hp on his action in round 1, she's fine to wait until round 2 to do the healing.

Ex Machina will use his round 1 full action to hold up the calamari until Gregor can come in as well.

[TheMeanDM]

As Artan the great Dire Bear strikes the fatal blow, and the gargantuan creature goes lifeless, Gregor shifts into the form of a huge, coppery-skinned humanoid with a fish-like tail where his legs should be.

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Yeah, I'll let Artan kill it, and then shove it's corpse up/out of the way during ROUND 1.

Ocean Giant is from Monster Manual 2.

Previously on The Grinder...

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Gregor Glenfiddich 13: Shape Changes**, Kills Beast (although he can do something else if he wants, Artan can kill it)
Saint Fiona the Unground 13: Revivifies Memphis, (you can cast your quickened heal spell here too if you want).
Ex Machina: Starts carving up some calamari

Current Initiative Count

The following were stated before the beast got whacked ::tear::


*The beast starts sinking this turn, but due to the quantum sequential nature of D&D it will only move it's 30 feet next round.
** I'm presuming that Artan Kills the Beast and Gregor shapeshifts into an Ocean Giant (If an Ocean Giant Mountain Giant is not a typo what is it? Where is it from?) on his turn instead of a Chronotyryn, and begins trying to hold the creature up/push it to the side. Holding it up is based on carrying capacity modified by submersion in water.

Unmodified by favorable conditions, Gregor can lift 17024 lbs as a light load (the maximum for flying) with his new Strength of 55. 51200 lbs is the maximum heavy load which allows for a push/drag of 256000 lbs (128 tons). This means he can push the beast's corpse into the side of the cylinder, and make room.

[Seribro]

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well, since going back in tie is a bitch and it has turned out that Memphis in fact was able to act, rule technically speaking, I instead think it would be easiest to rule that he was delaying. That way, we wont need to wait for the entire initiative tree to pass us by and still not mess up the actions that have allready been stated.

When Memphis sees his allies take controll over the situation, he nods and thinks of a way that would solve the whole escaping matter without expending any resources.
Weasel, remember our adventure in the South-Shaarmid desert, when we came across the tombs of the wyrmlord? We could use a purple worm right now.
The Silver dragon retracts his wings and paws the body lengthens up to about 80 feet in length. The silvery scales make way for purple plates and the jaws seem to grow out untill they cover most off what used to be the dragons face. It then curls forward through the water and begins to eat at the walls, coughing up the raw material on the side of the tube where it rains down and gets pulverized in the blade barrier.

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swift: change shape to purple worm
move: swim to side of tube opposed to the one that the squid-thing is being dumped.
move: burrow speed 20 ft straight into the tubes wall.

Guys, we can avoid any further mishaps and traps in this tube if we dig a tunnel parallel to it. With four shape changers, we should be able to build quiet the tube. Any of you that know the delver?

[TheMeanDM]

Aye, I've met a fairly strange lot 'o creatures in my days. Wide and far did we travel to fix that dragon and his masters' plans. But let me keep this off'n our backs for now.

[Kat Steel]

Martina

The lithe elf, moves up and around the cretaure

"Gregor keep it floating but don't push it all the way up to the celling, let me have a look around and make sure the exit isn't this way."

Martina moves above the creature examining the area

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search - (1d20+29)[18](47)
spot - (1d20+29)[4](33)

[Sxoa]

Weasel, in the form of a purple worm, smashes up against the side of the tube. His tunnelling jaws scrabble at the unyielding surface and he cannot penetrate into the side of the tube.

Martina looks about above the sinking beast, but does not find anything.

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I think while technically a purple worm can’t dig through rock, it’s pretty clear that they’re ment to, so I’m going to say they can.

However, Weasel finds that he is unable to dig through whatever the tube is made of.

A search takes a full round action to search a single five foot square (cube), you guys aren't in any pressing danger so we can move out of initiative count mode and Martina can scour the the entire top of the tube if you guys want.

Gregor is strong enough to push the creature up against the side, but not to support it's weight as light load (for purposes of your flight spell). Unless its a big deal that you want to keep it from sinking (in which case I'll need to calculate out some stuff like how it relates to your swim speed and lift off the ground weight limit) it slowly sinks down the wall as Gregor keeps it pressed over there. Hmm I just realized I might not have included size bonuses in my previous calculations, I'll have to go check them too if you care about keeping it suspended (as you can see I'm hoping not, but there is obviously no penalty if you do).

As a final note not particularly related to the game directly, I appreciate you guys being good sports about this game in general and the Chronotyryn thing in particular. Its very nice to not have to get into a long debate about why I'm DM fiating something. So thanks!

[TheMeanDM]

I seem to recall that there was a bloody taste in the water when we arrived. Gregor thinks to the group.

Rather than keeping this beast propped up, let's cut it up, see what it's last meal was. We can feed the pieces to those...well...grinding blades...below and dispose of them.

Seeing the "worm" having trouble eating the walls, Gregor continues, mentally:

Getting this beastie off'n me would free me up to help figure things out too. I've an idea about those walls.

[GryffonDurime]

This place is more dangerous than I thought, Teliron offers telepathically, resuming his angelic form. That...that beast ignored my wardings! What kind of monsters inhabit this place that can slip beneath even the Violet Veil?

[Toliudar]

Fiona

Fiona gropes about below using her blindsight, checking on the position of the tiny form Ex Machina mentioned a moment before.

Clearly, most unpleasant ones, Teliron. It seems unlikely that spells alone will win the day in this place. And have a care - there is still a small creature below us, below the blades.

[Sxoa]

The object drifts erratically downward, as if buffeted by currents. It drifts beyond the range of your dark vision.

Interestingly though you still directly detect evil (not lingering effects) for a brief moment after it leaves the range of your blindsight and then that too dissapears...

[Toliudar]

As Fiona completes her ministrations to Memphis, Ex Machina gazes downwards through the inky bllackness towards the sound of churning blades.

Careful. There is another source of evil below us. I will attempt to pinpoint it.

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The solar continues to refine its E-dar to get more information on the evil emanation(s) below.

[Seribro]

All the more reason not to go that way. Water elemental, how is that cleaning coming? Gregor, try lowering the monster along the side of the tube into the blade barrier. Carefull though not to put your own fingers in it. Martina, anything that feels like a passageway or a shutter up there? Teliron, do you know the delver? If you do, see if its acids can work through the walls will you. Weasel can't get through as a purple worm so it might be metal-clad. If delvers acid is a no go, try the rustmonster. Weasel, you know the rustmonster right? That brown crustacean the size of a husky with a tail like a lobster that eats metal? You remember? Take its form.

Meanwhile he uses one of his spell-like abilities to bring alive a body of water roughly the size of an ogre. The water elemental lets a low vibrating sound as he answers the call. Memphis replies with instructions in the same wavering tongue and although very few others are likely to understand the aquan tongue, the elemental recieves it as:
Help out the other water elemental cleaning the waters so that we can have a better look around


Weasel-worm begins shrinking drastically and regrows his limbs to peddle through the water. When colliding with the wall again, he tries putting his rusting jaws in it to corrode a hole in the protective layer.

[Kat Steel]

Martina

The she elf, moves/swims downwards going around the creature, to place herself next to the group

"I think the only way is down, has any one figured our if those blades are a magical effect or not. If they are a trap I cna try and disarm it."

She moves/swims around trying to spot anything that might be a mechanism for the blade barrier

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spot - (1d20+29)[1](30)

[Seribro]

Its magical all right. A permanent blade barrier or similar spell. Seeing that this dungeon is build as a test to see if one is worthy of becoming a god, I highly doubt any of would be able to break the spell. It has no mechanical parts, it merely is and always will be. If I am not mistaking, it is partly force magic so it extends to the ethereal plane. We could try swimming through and hope our fast healing ward will keep us alive to make it to the other side, But I dont feel like risking losing any limbs or fingers in the process. We may heal, but we don't regenerate. Lets try getting around the barrier first. I could use teleport spells, but that requires resources and several of them since there are to many of you to take you along all at once.

[TheMeanDM]

Gregor starts feeding the tentacles down into the whirling blades, slowly, so as not to lose his grip/control over the rest of the creature.

[Sxoa]

The creature's form begins to become rapidly puréed as it is run through the rapidly spin blades. You hear mostly what sounds like a hardwood tree being run through a wood chipper with fairly frequent cracks, like shattering stones. For a brief moment there are more fleshy noises, as if tough hard meat was being passed through the shredding force alongside everything else.

Ex Machina's detect evil can sense no more directly present evils from where she stands above the blades. Similarly Fiona, cannot detect the object from where she is.

As Weasel strokes his feathery antennae over the surface he detects the delicious (to his current senses) taste of metal. The first brush does not seem to affect the metal, as if it was enchanted and some how resisted. A second touch though, and the metal corrodes away, as if a hundred years or more flashed by in the blink of an eye. The depression created is approximately 10 feet deep you think.

The water now is becoming revoltingly vile. Filled with blood, foul ichor, ink, and now flaking metal. Its smell and taste are enough to turn a weak stomach.

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Rust Monster antennae deliver their rust attack, not their bite.

[GryffonDurime]

Beasts may conquer my wardings, but I doubt this barrier will...even if it does, it will be a minor expenditure to test. I'd rather not go poking holes into the walls until we can determine that what will be on the other side will be any better than what we currently deal with.

Teliron gestures swiftly downwards to the blade barrier, aiming to construct a warding wall.

If the blades can not penetrate, we need only don personal wardings. Perhaps the blades will not even survive this.

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I can create a wall of wardings, 70 feet wide and 35 feet tall. I think that's more than adequate to "test the waters" with the blade barrier. Teliron's setting the wall right in the churning barrier if at all possible; it's an Indigo/Violet, so it prevents all Spells and their effects from crossing and, if that doesn't work, destroys them as if they were disintegrated.

[TheMeanDM]

If you're able to disintigrate those blades, that's all well and good. But the tunnel would be fine too, me thinks.

Gregor stops feeding the creature into the grinding blades once he reaches the body, so as to allow his companions to try their abilities and spells.

[Toliudar]

Fiona

Yes, if weasel can simply create a passage around the blades big enough for each of us, I see no reason to get rid of them now. However, it might be useful to know now whether the mechanical resources of this place are as resilient as the creatures here - experiment with one warded creature may be worthwhile.

[Sxoa]

Weasel climbs into the hole he corroded in the metal and finds that the far wall is made of still more metal.

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Answering this question as far as you know:

Just a question: is it just a metal tube or does the metal extend for many feet outward like as if we are digging through a metal mountain?
In case its just a tube, what does weasel find beyond the metal layer? Rock and/or earth, a mechanical installation, thin air, a space vacuum, the astral plane, more water, Never-ever-land, a grind meat storage?

[Seribro]

Memphis comes closer to weasel and touches the hole. He is a bit surprised to feel the depth of the hole and has to conclude that this not just a thin mantle but pretty much a massive body, as if somebody carved the tube out of a lump like a child presses his thumb in a lump of clay.
Seems like stonework spells and creatures will be useless in this place. Rustmonster will be the way to tunnel this thing. Its all massive metal. But weasel could use some help to speed things up a bit. How many of you are familiar with the rustmonster?

[TheMeanDM]

Well, I don't be knowin' that one. But I do have somethin' else in mind. you feel a slight mental shudder. Give me a moment. He feeds the remainder of the creature into the shredding blades, then moves to the entrance of the tube. He shifts form into a haggard humanoid creature.
Its stonelike features seem eroded and crumbling, like an ancient statue battered by the elements.

He descends into the tunnel, and begins hammering away at the "bottom" wall.

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dust wight
Crumbling Touch (Su): A dust wight’s slam attack, in addition to dealing damage, weakens objects crafted of metal or stone. Each time a creature is struck by a slam attack from a dust wight, any metal or stone armor worn by
the target takes 2d8+10 points of damage (Fortitude DC 23 half). If this attack destroys the armor, the dust wight gains 5 temporary hit points (which last for a maximum of 1 hour). The save DC is Strength-based.

The dust wight’s slam attack deals double normal damage against creatures or objects crafted of metal or stone, such as a shield guardian or stone golem.

Meaning, it can attack a Metal Wall for...um...a minimum of 4d8+20 per hit...do I add the bonus damage from buffs too? That'd make it an additional +4 (+8) making it 4d8+28. I don't know how much it would destroy, and I know it's not 10' cube like a Rust Monster...but hey, at least it's something different :)

1st Round:
(4d8+28)[42]
(4d8+28)[51]
(4d8+28)[56]

2nd Round:
(4d8+28)[46]
(4d8+28)[38]
(4d8+28)[40]

3rd round:
(4d8+28)[41]
(4d8+28)[48]
(4d8+28)[38]

4th round:
(4d8+28)[39]
(4d8+28)[42]
(4d8+28)[47]

5th round:
(4d8+28)[45]
(4d8+28)[44]
(4d8+28)[41]

[TheMeanDM]

Gregor continues hammering away at the metal wall.

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Total damage to wall by round:
149 1st
124 2nd
127 3rd
128 4th
130 5th