Alisandra's shatter spell catches all three trolls in its blast as she moves forward to take Heldig's place and partially mends his wounds with a healing word. Lathan hits Heldig's attacker with two arrows. Lorrain throws a fire bolt at it but misses. Rissa slams her flaming sphere into the troll, then takes it down with an eldritch blast. A second eldritch blast connects with the other illuminated troll. Snagger hacks that troll once with his battleaxe, and Lucien hits it with an arrow. The troll spits phlegm into Snagger's eyes, blinding him, then claws him again. Jinx hits the troll with a fire bolt, then catches both remaining trolls in her flamethrower's blast, killing the illuminated one.

The last troll spits on Alisandra, missing her eyes but covering her neck and shoulder, then claws her, despite her attempts to distract it with her cutting words.

Heldig retreats, trying to clean the phlegm from his face.

Next round.

Troll 1: dead
Troll 2: dead
Troll 3: dead
Troll 4: injured (-29 hp?)

Alisandra attacks the remaining troll with her rapier, covering Heldig's retreat and Snagger's blindness.

OOC:

Move: optimize position to guard blinded/wounded people as much as she can.
Action: Attack with advantage final troll. She gets a 19 to hit and will do 5 points of damage if she hits.

14:27, Today: Alisandra rolled 19 using 2d20+6, dropping the lowest dice only ((13,6)).
14:27, Today: Alisandra rolled 5 using 1d8+3 ((2)).

Rissa beckoned, and the black flame heeded her call, striking the last troll and licking them with doom.

She backed up, retreating past the point where the creature's eyes could pierce the dark, and from that eternal shade threw more shadow.

Bonus: Move Flaming Sphere to hit the last troll DC 14 Dex for half of 5 fire
Move: Retreat to 75 ft. away.
Action: Eldritch Blast twice, advantage due to being outside it's sight range
-Hit on a 17 for 7 force
-Hit on a 24 for 12 force


12:39, Today: Rissa Twiceborn rolled 12 using 1d10+3.  EB 2.
12:39, Today: Rissa Twiceborn rolled 7 using 1d10+3.  EB 1.
12:39, Today: Rissa Twiceborn rolled 24 using 2d20+6, dropping the lowest dice only.  EB 2.
12:39, Today: Rissa Twiceborn rolled 17 using 2d20+6, dropping the lowest dice only.  EB 1.
12:38, Today: Rissa Twiceborn rolled 7 using 2d6.  Flaming SPhere.

Lucien's familiar continues to distract the troll as he hits it with an arrow.

Familiar Action: Use Help action against Troll 4.
Action: Attack against troll hits AC 19 for 12 damage.

Lucien Nailo rolled 19 using 2d20+9, dropping the lowest dice only with rolls of 3,10.  Longbow attack w/advantage.
Lucien Nailo rolled 8,4 using 1d8+4,2d6.  Damage w/ sneak attack.

Line watches the troll spitting at her companion with disgust.  We must finish him quickly then we can heal the injured peoples she thinks as she unleashes another firebolt and move the cannon to an appropriate angle to burn the last troll.



Bonus action: move cannon to position to burn the troll and fire for 5 damage
Move action: maintain about 50' distance with the troll
Action: cast Fire bolt at the troll, attack 12, damage 10.

12:22, Today: Jinx rolled 5 using 2d8 with rolls of 4,1.  Flamethrower damage.
12:22, Today: Jinx rolled 10 using 2d10 with rolls of 1,9.  Fire bolt damage.
12:22, Today: Jinx rolled 12 using 1d20+7 with rolls of 5.  Fire bolt attack .

Lathan fires two more arrows at the last troll but they both fly wide.

Attack Troll 4 twice. Both attacks miss.

12:00, Today: Lathan Swiftstrider rolled 12 using 1d20+6.  Attack.
12:00, Today: Lathan Swiftstrider rolled 12 using 1d20+6.  Attack.

Lorrain wrinkled his nose when the troll spat upon Alisandra. “How disgusting…” he said to himself before throwing another Fire Bolt out towards the remaining troll.

---

Action: Casting Fire Bolt.

• 22:08, Today: Lorrain Greenleaf rolled 22 using 1d20+6.  Fire Bolt.
• 02:09, Today: Lorrain Greenleaf rolled 10 using 2d10.  Fire Bolt Dmg.

Heldig backed up, blinded by the foul spit.  He couldn't do much like this, but he could at least get ready to fight again once he cleared his eyes.  He pressed his hand to his chest, trying close more of the wounds so once he could see again, he could aid his companions.

OOC: Cast healing word - 4hp  Heldig One-Thumb rolled 4 using 1d4+3 ((1))

Alisandra stabs the last troll with her rapier. Lathan fires two arrows at it but they both miss. Lorrain hurls a fire bolt, which hits the troll. Rissa grazes the troll with her flaming sphere, then hits it with two eldritch blasts. Lucien fires another arrow, which finds its mark. The troll claws Alisandra twice, leaving her barely standing, then falls to Jinx's flamethrower.

Heldig stitches together some of his wounds with a healing word. He and Snagger clear the phlegm from their eyes as the trolls smolder nearby.

End combat.

Alisandra gasps as she holds the rents the troll made in her side. "I'm going to need to rest a bit before we move on," she says in a very controlled voice that doesn't hide how much pain she's in. She takes in a deep breath and throws off some of the pain.

OOC: Second Wind heals 9 points. That puts her at 10.

17:29, Today: Alisandra rolled 9 for Second Wind using 1d10+1 ((8)).

Second Wind will reset on a Short Rest and I can use Song of Rest to make any Hit Dice we expend more effective.

Looking around at the mayhem in the wake of the battle, Lucien observes dourly: "Four trolls are still a challenge without a large application of magic and planning it would seem. We took a hefty beating in that fight. I think a rest is in order while we decide on our next step. I'll make sure nothing is coming up behind us." No sooner has he said the words, than his familiar flies off back the way they had come to check on the other groups of trolls.

Rissa strode up to Heldig, pulling forth healing light from her staff.

"Ari'Judiantu"
"Ari'Judiantu"

She touched him, lending her own magic to his efforts to mend himself.

"I've magic aplenty if we are to push on, but if we are resting here a moment I think it best I hold it in reserve. The Art of my blood is more plentiful, but slower to replenish itself once spent."

19:06, Today: Rissa Twiceborn rolled 7 using 2d8+3.  Cure Wounds.

Jinx walks up to her injured companions and the dead trolls.  She picks up her canon and look at Heldig One-Thumb and Alisandra.  "Yes, we should rest a little before going after one of the other group. Do you need magical healing?  I can help" she offers.

Heldig angrily wiped at his face as the last of the trolls fell.  He nodded to Rissa. "Thank you, Rissa."  He stood straighter, but still clearly wounded. "Aye, let us rest.  I still have most of my magics, but the rest will do us right."

OOC: Short rest 2 HD plus 1d6 Song of rest
17:37, Today: Heldig One-Thumb rolled 11 using 2d8+1d6 ((2,7,2)).

This message was last edited by the player at 21:38, Tue 02 May 2023.

Rissa nodded.

"Let's take our ease and bandage our wounds then, and head out once Lucien's familiar has reported back to us."

She took a spot where she would be able to watch their backs, for with her night eyes nothing would get close without her spotting it. At least, unless it was supremely stealthy all the time, and not just when it thought something else was nearby.

OOC: Short rest!

The party rests for an hour in the cave.

Short rest.

Lucien, not having been injured in the fighting or having any need to recover his spellcraft, keeps watch while the others rest. His familiar returns before too long and he reports to the group that the other trolls appear not to be moving.

While the group rests, he plans some strategy aloud. "We'll need to go into the next fight with more at our disposal. Thanks to everyone's magic, we now don't seem to have too much trouble keeping the trolls from regenerating, but our front line took a lot of damage from four trolls. Add three more to the mix and we'll be in trouble. We can hit them with Rissa's staff as we have in past to either deal a good deal of damage or to separate them into more manageable groups, but I wonder what other spells could be brought to bear after she uses it."

Heldig rubs his beard, before grumbling.  "I've just learned a new spell to me.  The ability to summon spirit guardians.  It can slow the trolls advance, and while they are close, they are prone to taking damage.  I won't be able to cast a blessing or summon my spiritual weapon, but it is powerful constant spell that may help."

"Well, before I get into toe-to-claw distance again, I'll use mirror image," Alisandra says with a wry grin and a theatrical bonk on her head.

Rissa nodded.

"Let's try for the group of six next."

She said simply.

"I will try to separate them with the magic of the Staff, though it will only buy us a moment of respite. Still, it is better than nothing. We will have to do a fighting retreat, and try and pick one or two off, then withdraw."

This war of attrition had carried them this far, no reason to abandon it now. She'd been so inexperienced, when this war in the dark had begun. Now they had fought so many campaigns, she spoke with the confidence of close to a dozen such skirmishes as she discussed strategy.

"Do not let them close with us until we've significantly reduced their numbers. At least three of the six should already be dead and burned before we are near enough for their claws to touch our front lines."

Lucien nods. "The group of six is further down the main tunnel. I'll lead the way and start things off as before. Be ready." Before they depart, he prepares another acid arrow and takes Jinx' flame cannon if she offers it. Then the elf floats into the air and melts into the shadows. One moment he is there, the next he has vanished.

Lucien Nailo rolled 30 using 2d20+10, dropping the lowest dice only with rolls of 20,7.  Stealth w/advantage.

"I could slow them down by making the ground extremely slippery while we rain missile at them." suggests Jinx. "This could also make it easier for Rissa to separate them with the ice wall."

OOC: Grease spell.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:37, Fri 05 May 2023.

Lucien finds six trolls in the cave at the end of the tunnel, huddled together near a pool of water and devouring a giant crayfish.

"Jinx," she asks, "do you think that they'd be affected by that since they've shown they can just move freely on that slippery muck?" She's just brainstorming, not trying to be critical.

Lucien waits for his companions to get as close as they want before he approaches the trolls to plant Jinx's cannon in the most advantageous position. Then he backs up to the limit of his range and prepares an acid arrow. Unfortunately, despite having achieved surprise, the troll he is aiming at moves at the last second just as he looses the arrow and it flies wide with its deadly cargo. The second arrow is better aimed, but the element of surprise is lost.

Surprise Round Action: Attack against troll misses (AC 12).

Lucien Nailo rolled 15 using 1d20+4.  Initiative.
Lucien Nailo rolled 1215 using 2d20+9.  Longbow attack w/advantage. Forgot to drop the lowest.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:24, Wed 17 May 2023.