Pleased at his good aim before, Schnickle quickly retrieved his last tanglefoot bag, and hurled that at the next ulitharid.

oOC:
(including +1 if within 30ft)
Ranged touch attack: 13
Use d20 reroll
Attack 23

Knowing he's gravely injured but unwilling to give up Deepwalker strikes at the monstrosity again.  Once it falls he backs off reaching for his potion belt for a healing potion.
OOC: I hope it falls as that's 103 points of damage.

Use a movement action to set Psionic Focus with Psionic Mediation
Attack with a three point Power Attack expend Psionic Focus on Psionic Weapon
Make a Cleave Attack if it falls
Take a 5 foot step back from entangled Ulitharid

22:07, Today: Deepwalker rolled 32 using 3d8+16. Cleave Damage.
22:06, Today: Deepwalker rolled 24 using 1d20+8. Cleave Attack.
22:06, Today: Deepwalker rolled 7 using 2d6. Psionic Weapon Damage.
22:06, Today: Deepwalker rolled 29 using 3d8+16. Flail Damage.
22:05, Today: Deepwalker rolled 17 using 1d20+8. Confirm Critical.
22:04, Today: Deepwalker rolled 27 using 1d20+8. Flail Attack.

Illianka stepped back, thrusting her right palm at her prey once working in the deathly silence of an assassin born and raised as the flaming beam of energy leapt forth with a roar.

No movement, but manifesting Energy Ray for 3 PP as a standard action.


18:55, Today: Illianka rolled 17 using 1d20+6. Ranged Touch (Energy Ray).
18:56, Today: Illianka rolled 18 using 3d6+3. Damage (Energy Ray (Fire)).

This message was last edited by the player at 07:17, Fri 02 Feb 2007.

[Private to Deepwalker: That first one was a crit after all, and a kill - you hit with both attacks.]
[Private to Illianka: You only have one standard action; please edit your post appropriately]

Just a couple of quick clarifications; I'll be back with a proper post tomorrow.
The mind flayer was hit and trapped in place by the tanglefoot bag. These monsters are really not having much luck with the dice roller.

Deepwalker hits the broken part of the creatures shell, and it smashes open, brain oozing from the wound. The Ularthid crumbles to the ground, and Deepwalker carries the momentum on to strike the other one.

OOC: Illianka, update your turn - only one standard action per round.

After striking the second Ulitharid with her energy ray, Illianka simply keeps her hand aimed, frowning as she focusses more power into the creature.

18:19, Today: Illianka rolled 14 using 3d6+3. Damage (Energy Ray Fire).
18:18, Today: Illianka rolled 22 using 1d20+6. Ranged Touch (Energy Ray).

The creature twists and turns, held in place and withering under the flames.
It draws a pair of concealed items from either side of its mantle - a pair of simple cloth bags.

Anyone with detect magic/psionics active?

Deepwalker pulls out one of his healing potions and drinks it.  His wounds close sightly and stepping back another five feet he reaches for another potion.

13:49, Today: Deepwalker rolled 6 using 1d8+1. Potion Cure Light Wounds.

Moving with great speed, Schnickle ran for cover, darting one way then the next in an effort at misdirection and trying to avoid the attentions of the flayers. He skipped over rocks and finally dashed behind a pile of rubble, hopefully out of sight.

Then he popped up from behind his rock, and levelled his crossbow at an entangled flayer. Focusing the ruby of his mind, he fired, and the bolt flew straight and true.


OOC:
Swift Action: manifest Burst (+10ft)
Move Action: move up to 15ft to a place of concealment (behind a rock or Deepwalker, or something) within 30ft of an entangled ulitharid
Free Action: create diversion to hide, bluff 29
Free Action: hide with -10 penalty, hide 14
Free Action: expend focus on psionic shot
Free Action: Use Point Blank Shot feat (+1 attack and damage within 30ft)
Standard: crossbow attack with a mw bolt, 21
Crossbow damage: 7
Psionic Shot damage: 9
Sneak Attack: 6 (if successful)
Total damage if it all works: 21

Sniping: Hide 1 (nevermind)

Whew! The relevent details for all that are in the description of Hide on p76 of the PHB.

The ularthid keeps a watchful eye on Scnick as he attempts to sneak behind cover, and is perfectly aware of what is going on as he fires his crossbow. He is also, of course, stuck the the floor and unable to do much more than try and twist out of the way - unsuccessfully.
OOC: Schick only manages 15 damage instead of 21 - no sneak attack.

Illianka simply continued her assault, though the streams were cut off after another six seconds as she decided that another approach might be better and less draining... as her attack starts to peter out.

[private to GM: 17:58, Today: Illianka rolled 9 using 1d20+6. RTA (Energy Way Fire). ]
This message was last edited by the player at 07:33, Mon 05 Feb 2007.

OOC: That's a hit, actually. It's a touch attack vs a large, entangled foe.

Illianka holds her burning ray on the creature, slowly incinerating its flesh. The Ularthid raises its head triumphantly, and shrieks "I... will... have... my... ESCAPE". The final word is punctuated as it pushes one of the bags into the other, and there is a brain-shattering light. When you can see again, you realise that you are floating in midair, rather than standing, and the creature is free of the tanglefoot bag. Your vision seems to go on forever in every direction - there are several large objects floating in the distance in various directions, but there is hardly time to examine them more closely. You feel that you can 'fly' by envisioning yourself moving in a direction.

There is no sign of any of the svirf warriors who accompanied you, or the cleric - there is just you, and the Ularthid.

OOC: Anyone with Knowledge(The Planes) give me a DC 20 check.

"No! What have you done?!" Illianka leapt for the Ulitharid, hoping beyond hope that if she can kill it then that'll dump them back in the real world...

18:36, Today: Illianka rolled 8 using 1d6+2. Damage.
18:36, Today: Illianka rolled 23 using 1d20+6. Attack (SSoS).

Schnickle yelped at the sudden translocation. "Think I don't that we're in the 'dark anymore!"

He slotted a bolt into his crossbow, one of his best, and fired it at the Ulitharid.

"Grab him! Take us back maybe he could! Uh, grab not the mind flayer! Um..."


OOC: Attack 27, damage 6

"I could take you back, if I were alive to do so. It is clear you will win this fight, but you will be trapped. Your defilement of our ritual is abhorrent, but my death away from the elders would be far more so. What say you of safe passage for each of us?"

Illianka moved to continue the attack. She was a weapon, she was the perfect tool of her house and nothing more, she was...

... she was free, and free to make her own choices. Free to live. She stepped back and looked at the Ulitharid through careful eyes.

"Your life for our return to the 'dark." She asked, askance. "What do you think?" She looked at her companions.

"Trust him we cannot!" Schnickle hollered. "Dump us some place much worse he will."

OOC: Just you two and the ularthid here

"How close together can they shift between planes? He can't take us anywhere inhospitable unless he can get out just as quickly, and if he can get out so can we... as long as it's on the prime."

"The svirf have always been a suspicious race, and rightly so. If you are so unwilling, I will simply leave alone."

"Think it possible does Illianka, then I will try. But my crossbow you know is loaded and my mind sharp." Schnickle quickly loaded a bolt to emphasise this, and steadily focused his mind.


OOC: Load bolt, set focus (concentration 20).

The ularthid begins focussing inwards, and it is clearly manifesting some power.
"Stand close - you must touch me to take this trip. I have enjoyed matching both wits and blades with you."

As you step in towards him, there is a flash of light, and you are standing alone in the wilderness.

OOC: Plane shift shunts you to a random location, so if you get permission to take this character to another region, you've got an instant explanation of how you travelled there. Also, 9000 XP each for finishing the major plot of this adventure and for the recent combat and excellent RP & problem solving.

Schnick, the paintbrush is a set of marvelous pigments with mild telepathy imbued into it such that it can draw what your mind sees. This has no effect on the game mechanic, but makes it harder to identify. Anyone else got any unidentified items or questions about unresolved plot points?
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:06, Thu 08 Feb 2007.

Schnickle warily swam towards the flayer, and took careful hold of the hem of its cloak - well away from its reaching tentacles. With his other hand, he aimed the crossbow up the flayer. "Tricks you will have none." he warned.

Then he found himself back in something resembling the real world. "Now, shall I see to you!" he snarled and spun around, crossbow ready.

He was alone. No mind flayer, no Illianka, no Deepwalker. All alone. He would miss Illianka he realised, and perhaps even Deepwalker too.

"Callarduran keep them safe," he whispered. "And me too."

The little gnome looked around to see where he was. He had no idea where on Toril he was. Oh well. He would find his way home, no matter how long it took. Or what mischief he got into along the way. And he still had his mission.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:40, Thu 08 Feb 2007.

Illianka, cautious as her nature dictated, stepped up and took hold of the Ulitharid's cloak. She didn't feel the need to vocalise anything, feeling that her distrust was amply shown in her bearing.

When the light faded, she flicked a dagger from its' wrist-sheath and jumped away from the Ulitharid...

... to find that she was alone. Completely alone... again. There was no-one for miles all around...

Then she realised that she could see for miles around. There were no cavern walls. She was no longer in the Astral... but neither was she at home in the Underdark. And she had heard stories of the persecution her kind could find on the surface... A half-drow, alone in the world and friendless, with no god to pray to or roof to sleep beneath.

For the first time in her life, Illianka looked up and saw the open sky. The stars stretched across eternity, the light of the moon seeming to fall in a circle about her to light the way. Illianka knew not the names of these lights above her, but they were beautiful.

Sheathing her dagger and pulling up the cloak on her piwafwi, Illianka picked a direction and started to walk. Yes, she was alone, and yes, she would miss the dwarf and gnome she had started to think of as friends... but this was a whole new world. A new beginning.

Who knew. Maybe they were closer than she thought?