Zan will help the killing of the rats. "Ginger you can help anytime that you would like"


10:49, Today: Zan rolled 8,14,9 using d6+2,d20+1,1d8+1.  sword attack.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:50, Mon 07 Aug 2017.

Ginger is delighted with the snack food, darting from Zan to prod a couple of rats with her tail. Both fell comatose, and she proceeded to begin snacking on the hapless rodents as the others continued the fight.

11 rats sleeping,

16 rats have been culled down to 9 rats (including Ginger's contribution).

ooc: I'm using DM caveat to accelerate this combat unless someone finds giant rats particularly compelling.

In their round, (1) rat hits Bruno (natural 20, double damage) for 2 points of damage

(1) rat hits Myrrick for 2 point of damage. Just a flesh wound.

(1) rat hits Zan for 3 points of damage. ouchie!

Bruno swings again, this time at the one whose teeth managed to get through his defenses.


16:24, Today: Bruno Rhunthane rolled 11 using 2d5+6.  Damage with Hammer.
16:21, Today: Bruno Rhunthane rolled 15 using 1d20+3.  Attack with Hammer.

Kullonar takes a whack at another giant rat, but the beast evades his morningstar.

They were only big rats, hardly worth any effort, but Uthecar found it hard to stand by while others were enjoying a fight.

He moves to where he can be of some assistance, or to take over from someone not so enthused about fighting.

Uthecar Hornskin II rolled 19 to hit.
Uthecar Hornskin II rolled 13 Damage.

Myrrick swings back at the creature.

08:24, Today: Myrrick rolled 5 using 1d20+1 ((4)).

Zan continues to attack with his sword.

13:07, Today: Zan rolled 5,13,4 using d6+2,d20+1,1d8+1.  r2.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:08, Wed 09 Aug 2017.

9 rats have become six after two rounds of fighting. Uthecar, Bruno and Zan all find a mark, and each target dies.

The rats, their numbers falling faster than a shooting star, offer one more round of attacks in attempt to protect their nest. They are unsuccessful.

The sleeping rats are still asleep.

Party's initiative.

(on a side note: there are times (like this one) where running the party on the best initiative is easier than trying to keep track of individual initiatives. That said, most times I will use individual initiatives during fights).
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:02, Fri 11 Aug 2017.

Now roused Uthecar continues his attack.

Uthecar Hornskin II rolled 20 using 1d20+3 to hit.
Uthecar Hornskin II rolled 8 using 1d8+7 damage.


OOC: For the additional complexity/potential slow down from a missed roll, that individual initiative rolls create I do question their worth.  It is a random role, that sometimes screws with intelligent planning and for my part, I'm totally happy with a single party role.  Mind you in this game I do not have a high dexterity and though the dexterity reaction adjustment is only meant for 'surprise' situations, I do agree with the more common way of playing it as a bonus to initiative.  Potentially it unfairly skewers the game in the characters favour, but NPC villains are notorious for not complaining about their raw deals.

OOC:
12:42, Today: Bruno Rhunthane rolled 13 using 1d20+3.  Attack with Hammer.
12:42, Today: Bruno Rhunthane rolled 13 using 2d5+6.  Damage with Hammer.


I'm uncertain that I've rolled duplicate numbers like this before or at least in recent memory. That's kinda cool.

Bruno is relieved that the seem to be winning, but knows the old adage about rats, backs, and walls and presses the attack to avoid this situation falling into that problem.

It's a scramble to kill the nimble rodents, but at last the party kills a few more. The beleaguered rats, those still alive, depart in fear, dashing into various hidey holes around the pile of refuse, leaving their sleeping mates to their fate.

The party is barely out of breath from the effort - despite the relative ease, no one has forgotten the dead ghast out in the hallway.

"That dead thing stinks," Weasel said, standing at the doorway and looking into the room. "Made me kinda sick. What're we gonna do now?"

ooc: You'll recall this is a storeroom similar to the other secret room you found, though much of the area is covered with rat guano, so I'm not sure how much poking around you'll be doing. Also, you have enough time to do away with the 'rat problem' as they say - if someone so desires to do the grisly work of extermination.

Uthecar is happy to see the rats off, either by killing or chasing them away since he doesn't care.  Covering his hand he will drag the dead ghast back into the room that it came from after the room has been checked over.

When the non-sleeping rats flee, Bruno quickly moves to finish off the sleeping ones with strong, but rapid pops to their 'giant' rat heads.

As he does so he says, "Something tells me that despite the stench whatever is in the room the Ghast came from is worth investigating. But let's do that together, eh?"

Myrrick nods, readying his sword and covering his face with a piece of his traveling cloak.

Zan scratched the back of his neck, "Umm sorry about that.. Uthecar thanks for your help back there."  He took his sword and started skewing the sleeping rats.

OOC: LOL might have helped if we had realized that we were investing two separate doors.

Kullonar looks around the room, making sure there are no more surprises, before slipping his morningstar through a loop in his belt. "Anyone get bitten? We must be careful about rat bites. They are known to carry any number of diseases and even plague."

So, while others are investigating and bashing heads, Kullonar cleans the minor wound he received from a rat, making sure the wound doesn't get infected as he wraps it up.

The group briefly catches it's collective breath after dispatching most of the remaining rats - a few of the nest managed flight, and you suspect the rodents will breed a new crop of healthy critters through the next cycle, but for now, they'll likely keep a low profile...

The group gathers, briefly discusses the next stage. Outside the door that Zan opened, then cagily ran from (LOL!), the corpse of the ghast casts its stench.

ooc: I'm assuming, based upon various posts, that you'll want to disregard the rat room and focus exploration in the ghast's room. That said, marching order and actions as you enter, please.

;)

Changing my previous post.  After a quick once over in the rat room, which would probably involve Uthecar pushing some of the debris to one side, Uthecar will grab the ghast by a covered hand dragging it into the area where the rats were.  That way the room can be investigated without the stench being so powerful.

What do we see in the ghast room?  Have we been given a description?  What does Uthecar see as one of the first into the room to pull out the ghast?

Zan couldn't help himself as he pulled up his shirt to use to keep the pungent odor from assaulting his sense of smell once again.  "It'll take weeks for that smell to go away"

"Yup, and spreading it around won't help much either."  Uthecar replies appearing slightly amused at Zan's obvious discomfort.  "At least it's now closest to the most likely source of creatures that'll eat it if they come back."

Kullonar gags at the stench and tries not to think about it else he might actually spew. Instead, he covers his nose, breathing through his mouth, and walks into the ghast's lair, one hand on his holy symbol, the other on his morningstar.

The party enters the darkened room. Sprawled before them is a 50' wide x 40' tall room, with the secret door on the left side, 20' down from the upper wall (this is where you are standing).

A few things stand out immediately, as shone by the light of Bruno's lantern (useful thing, light):

First, there appears to be two prints showing the pictures of two maps. The lefthand print is notated beneath as 'Q' Upper Level, the right hand print says 'Q' Lower Level (see updated map thread).

Second, both prints are to the left of a door centered neatly in the north wall. It is closed.

Third, the room's description is as follows:

This workroom is a facility designed for various purposes related to the study of magic. There are several large wooden tables within the room, one of which is overturned. There is also a central table made of stone, the top appears to be stone of some sort, though it is covered in a thick layer of dust. Along with the tables are several chairs, scattered about, most in disarray and suffering from severe dry rot.

Along the north wall, are the aforementioned prints, along with a series of hanging cabinets and wooden shelves. The shelves appear to be filled with oddments a reclusive mage might collect (a human skull, a black cat in preservative in a glass jar stoppered with a cork, etc.). The cabinets are closed.

Parties actions please...
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:40, Mon 21 Aug 2017.

Bruno moves into the room with his very useful lantern and scans, "Something tells me that wizards will find more of utility in here than anyone else."

The sentence is said in something slightly louder than a mumble as he stands ready for something or other to occur.

With there being no arms or armour in plain sight, nor sign of anything hostile to hit, Uthecar is bored with the room almost immediately.  He stands guard at the door in the hope that something is foolish enough to come long and look threatening.

Zan interest is peaked, the zest for magical learning.  He soon finds himself looking through the shelves studying the ingredients as well as looking for any books or manuals