"Ah." Morin  called back to the party members back in the hallway. "There's the pygmies I was talking about.  They're looking pretty grim, but I'm sure once you get to know them, they're a bunch of real fungi's."  Morin's pun, like all puns, put everyone who heard it in the mood to commit murder.

STANDARD: Activate inspire courage: +1 attack, damage, and saves vs fear to all allies.

OOC: Morin should be at full heath, he used his healing wand to top up after the last fight.

Cain would have rolled his eyes at that, if he had the time. Instead he takes a step away from the pygmies and blast them with his spell.

Step to the left, Color Spray. I can probably catch the first two that way? I'd like to try for all of them, but I'm not sure if casting from my current position would provoke AoO or not?

edit: Oh, and if Cael goes before Cain, it would probably be best for him to wait for Cain to cast his spell first. Don't wont to catch him as well, Color Spray is nasty at low level.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:22, Wed 03 Aug 2022.

 Cael stands between himself and the rest of the group like a human shield as he lets the others do what they wish before making his move. He stands with great sword ready to strike. He could trigger his... condition, but these little ones do not seem like the effort.

 "Step Closer, be Salad." Cael warned the Vegepygmies.

 Readied Action to take a swing with the Greatsword at the first Pygmy to step into range.

Morin's ferny puns inspire borage in his companions. Cain quickly backs away from the open doorway and flings a pinch of multi-colored dust which quickly shifts into a dizzying array of lights at the vegepygmies, but their dumb, expressionless faces do not react to the display(Immune to Mind-Affecting effects/patterns.) With Cain's spell spent, Cael quickly rushes in to strike at the lead plant--the edge in catching the creature flat-footed and with Morin's pun fresh in his mind helping his great blade land solidly and make a moldy salad of the pygmy(-13 HP.) The small plant-creature behind the first stabs at the big man with its longspear, but the tip is deflected by Cael's sturdy armor. Then the larger Vegepygmy behind that one lifts its hammer high and begins to bang it hard against the Numerian steel wall beside it ... and all hell breaks loose.

Suddenly the large door beside Cain and Cael slides up into the ceiling, revealing a large, unlit room with tables, chairs, and multiple other doors--all covered by a thick layer of fungal matter. Beside the now open door is another vegepygmy who quickly steps away from the opening but deeper within is a large, flower-like plant nearly as tall as a man with a bulb near its base and multiple barbed vines growing from that bulb. Both Synn and Morin recognize the plant as a Weedwhip, but everyone else is soon to learn what kind of threat it poses. The plant's vile stench wafts into the hallway, quickly enveloping Cain, Cael, and Morin(DC 12 Fort Save or sickened for 1 minute.) It reacts immediately to the new animal presence and lashes out with the whip-like vines at Cain and Cael. One of the vines lands hard against Cain, giving him a good gash(-4 HP) and a dose of poison(DC 12 Fort Save or Nauseated 1 round.)

Simultaneously the large door down the first hallway opens, revealing a small circular room beyond and a squad of four more vegepygmies who charge at the exposed Zorden with claws and spears. Fortunately the vegepygmies seem to stumble over themselves as they attack and the tiefling's leather armor saves him from all but a single claw(-1 HP.)

The small door opened by Cain, southeast of Cael, closes once again.
Party's turn.


15:56, Today: Dungeon Master, on behalf of Cael, The Whirlwind, rolled 1314,1213 using d20+67,2d6+67 with rolls of 7,5,1.  Attack/Damage v Vegepygmy 1.
16:14, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 15,6 using d20+1,1d6 with rolls of 14,6.  Vege 2 Attack/Damage v Cael.
16:25, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 11,18,23 using d20+4,d20+6,d20+6.  Know Nature(ID plant) Cael, Morin, Synn.
16:34, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 23,13,10 using d20+5,d20+5,d20+5.  Weedwhip attacks v Cain, Cael, Cael.
16:39, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 4 using 1d4.  Weedwhip Damage v Cain.
16:49, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 10,14,8,11 using d20+3,d20+3,d20+3,d20+3.  Vege attacks v Zorden 4 claw, 5 claw, 6 spear, 7 spear.
16:52, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 1 using 1d4.  Vege 5 Claw Damage v Zorden.

This message was last edited by the GM at 21:35, Thu 04 Aug 2022.

"Oh, huh.  Yeah, looks like they know how to use the keycards too!"  Morin chuckled. "I gotta admit, that was pretty sneaky.  I can't be-leaf they got the drop on us like that!"

Slightly more seriously, Morin continued to talk as he backed up.  "Okay, back to the big room.  Cael can chop 'em up one by one, Cain or I can help block the door, Zed can do his thing, and Synn can do, uh, whatever it is she does!"

OOC: I'm assuming the pygmies have keycards, since at least a few of those doors were locked.  Can we see what color the cards are?

MOVE: Move 2 squares left and 2 squares north to block entrance.
STANDARD: Total defense action, bringing AC to 22.

Zorden backpedaled as the creatures piled out into the tunnel in front of him and started stabbing at him with their spears.

He kept his eyes on them as he sought to retreat back through the doors into the larger room to take a stand.  As he went his tail flicked up to his belt and pulled free a small flask.

Full Round action to withdraw 20'ish feet backwards.
Swift action for his tail to pull out an acid flask in case there's an opportunity to use it in the next few rounds.

"Don't have to tell me twice!" Cain shrugs off the poison and pulls back, readying one of the strange cylinders they found earlier.

Moving back to two squares left from where Morin moved to, to a square northwest of that round table. Gotta give him room to 5' step back next round if Cain is to take his place. We have a wand of CLW, right?

Also, readying a grenade. No idea what a white grenade actually does, but it's probably nothing good for the target. Unless it's a healing grenade, though why would anyone make one if beyond me.

15:01, Today: Cain rolled 18,20 using 1d20,1d20 with rolls of 18,20.  Save (Sickened, Nauseated).

Morin, Zorden, and Cain each pull back out of the hallways and into the larger room.
Still need actions from Cael and Synn.

Return to the main room with the others and prepare to take them on if they pursue.

Synn was glad when everyone returned to where she was standing. She was ready to fight but didn't like her chances standing out alone. "Where do these creatures come from? I have never seen their like"

"...You serious?" Morin asked, incredulous.  "I literally just explained that like a minute ago.  They're Vegepygmies."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:06, Sat 06 Aug 2022.

"Yes, you gave them a name and said they can use key cards and you made a joke, but if you said where they came from, I must have missed it."

Synn stands her ground as the others filter by her and back into the larger room. The cluster of vegepygmies charge after the retreating party, one getting a claw by Morin's defenses(-3 HP) while another scratches Synn's fancy new armor with a spear. The other vegepygmies and their apparent leader begin to follow from the south, but soon the door between the party and the enemies rudely closes in everyone's faces
I've been forgetting about this, but the doors automatically shut at the start of the next turn of the one who opened them unless they are locked open.
Party is up.

21:59, Today: Dungeon Master, on behalf of Cael, The Whirlwind, rolled 25 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 20.  Fort Save v Stench.
22:03, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 7,18 using d20+3,d20+3 with rolls of 4,15.  Vege attacks v Synn 4 Claw, 6 Spear.
22:05, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 22,8 using d20+3,d20+3 with rolls of 19,5.  Vege attacks v Morin 5 Claw, 7 Spear.
22:08, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 3 using 1d4 with rolls of 3.  Claw damage Morin.

"Well..." Morin scratched his head in response to Synn's question.  "These particular Vegepygmies come from that door down the hall.  If you're asking more generally, well I guess after the fighting's done I can take the time to explain the birds and the bees to you.  You're old enough to know."

Palming open the door, Morin stepped to one side to let the Cain and Cael through.

"I guess in this case it's less "birds and bees" and more "parasitic fungus and anything that touches the parasitic fungus"." He continued, reaching around the doorway to lasso the nearest pygmy.

MOVE: open door
FREE: 5' step south, maintain inspire courage.
STANDARD: Lasso nearest vegepygmy, 16 on touch attack.

NOTE: the lasso throw includes the penalty for throwing into melee, but no cover penalty.  I THINK Morins position means that he has cover from the pygmies (so no AoO) but they don't have cover from his ranged attacks.

Also, I didn't mention I was continuing to inspire courage last turn, but I meant to.  If forgetting to mention it means I stopped, replace my attack with restarting the performance.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:34, Sun 07 Aug 2022.

"Have I mentioned lately how much I hate this place?" Following Morin's instructions, Cain turns the dial and presses the button on the grenade he picked up earlier, then lobs it over the heads of the plant menace in the next room. "EAT... WHATEVER THIS IS!"

Not waiting to see what happens, he then draws his sword and moves forward to plug the gap in their lines.

Throwing the grenade at a grid intersection right behind the two rows of pygmies.
21:42, Today: Cain rolled 19 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 14.  Fire in the hole.

Then drawing sword while moving to the square Morin just left. Cael can take Synn's place, I hope.

 Still holding his greatsword, Cael will step up and prepare. If these things get through, he will be ready for them.

Move to replace Synn, if possible, if not, just get me as close to the door as I can get.

With Cael wanting to be on the front lines, Synn was more than happy to let him take her place. She wanted to fire her pistol at the big one, but given that close call with the vegepygmy's spear, she cleared the way.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:14, Mon 08 Aug 2022.

Zorden held his place and his fire.  The green things were small, most of his compatriots were not.  That made it too risky to try shooting around one to hit the other.

With a clear shot Syn fires her pistol at the bog one with the Hammer

12:13, Today: Synn Mescara rolled 22 using 1d20+3 with rolls of 19.  Ranged attack
This message was last edited by the player at 16:15, Mon 08 Aug 2022.

As the door whips open after Morin presses the nearby panel, both he and Synn step aside and attack the waiting plants--Morin's lasso snaring the southern one and Synn's pistol letting out a deafening explosion of flame and smoke as it sends a bullet plowing through the creature's shoulder and dropping it to the ground(-8 HP). After fiddling with his found grenade and tossing it into the crowd of Vegepygmies, Cain advances alongside Cael who chops haphazardly at the nearest enemy but with the plant off-balance from its charge and snared by Morin's lasso still manages to make another salad(-13 HP).

The enemies continue their advance, one of the spearmen abandoning his weapon to step over his fallen friend to claw at Cael (-4 HP) and another stepping over the fallen to claw at Cain(-4 HP). The remaining spearman stabs at the barbarian to no avail as the last of the vegepygmies, including their leader, crowd in to the bottleneck. Then, as quickly as before, the door closes once again--although it fails to close completely as Morin's lasso jams it open slightly at the floor. Shortly after a loud bang is heard from behind the doorway and a blinding white light briefly flashes through the small crack in the doorway.
Party is up.

---

Spoiler for When/If the door is opened...: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)

It is apparent that two of the vegepymies have been blinded.

---

15:38, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 4,22,22,8,16 using d20+3,d20+3,d20+3,d20+3,d20+10 with rolls of 1,19,19,5,6.  Saves 2,3,6,7,Leader v Grenade.
15:15, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 12 using 1d20+1 with rolls of 11.  Spear v Cael.
15:14, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 4 using 1d4 with rolls of 4.  Damage v Cain.
15:13, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 15,20 using d20+1,d20+1 with rolls of 14,19.  Claws v Cain.
15:12, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 4 using 1d4 with rolls of 4.  Damage v Cael.
15:12, Today: Dungeon Master rolled 4,18 using d20+1,d20+1 with rolls of 3,17.  Claws v Cael.
14:58, Today: Dungeon Master, on behalf of Cael, The Whirlwind, rolled 12,13 using d20+7,2d5+7 with rolls of 5,2,4.  Attack/Damage v Vege 5.
14:52, Today: Dungeon Master, on behalf of Synn Mescara, rolled 8 using 1d6+2 with rolls of 6.  Synn Damage v Vege4.


This message was last edited by the GM at 19:58, Mon 08 Aug 2022.

Cain opens the door and is not impressed with the effects of his grenade. "Ugh. Some healing, please! I think I mildly inconvenienced a couple of them. Does anyone have a grenade that actually does something useful?"

He strikes at the pygmie in front of him with his sword.

07:06, Today: Cain rolled 13,7 using 1d20+5,1d8 with rolls of 8,7.  Attack, Damage.

Not sure if we have to manually open the door each time or not. Oh, and I don't suppose someone has a grenade that actually does some damage? We could really use one here.

edit: Forgot about Inspire Courage, that's another +1 to attack and damage.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:15, Thu 11 Aug 2022.

Dropping the end of his lariat, Morin pulled out his healing wand from his belt.  Tapping the wand over Cain's claw wounds, he spoke the command word and neatly erased most of the elf's injuries.

"I dunno if we need another grenade for these mopes.  I mean, throwing the banger at a bunch of plants would be a little...fruitless, and I don't know if there's enough gravity to the situation to try the crusher.  Besides, you guys are doing great!  As long as there's no big surprise from the hammer guy, we should be just about out of the woods."

OOC: Don't forget the bonus from inspire courage.
MOVE: Draw Wand of Cure light wounds
STANDARD: Use wand on Cain, healing 7 hp (35 charges left)
FREE: Maintain inspire courage (4 rounds remaining)
This message was last edited by the player at 19:57, Tue 09 Aug 2022.

Zorden stepped forward so he could pass Cain an acid flask.

"Not a grenade, but you know what to expect, and it's easier to come by."

Zorden was wary of any spears that might be thrust past the others to where he was, but he didn't yet take action as he could barely see the small green monsters in the shuffle of combat.  So taking a shot seemed as likely to injure the wrong person than the creature intended.

Keeping cover, Synn reloaded her pistol.

"Tossing and hoping isn't good strategy my friends. I think we should take better advantage of this door somehow."

After pressing the panel to open the door once more, revealing the vegepygmies in disarray after the blinding flash of light from the technological grenade, Cain lashes out with his sword and spills sap on the dusty steel floors as he brings down another of the plant-people(-8 HP). Cael strikes out as well but fails to make contact with the enemy. Morin continues joking while he casts a spell from the party's wand to heal Cain(+7 HP), Synn works on reloading her pistol, and Zorden moves to hand off an acid flask to the rogue.

Smart enough to see they are loosing this fight badly, the leader of the plant-creatures bangs his hammer on the wall again and makes loud, clicking noises as he presses the panel to open the door beside him. Soon he and the other vegepygmies are in full retreat down the hall to the south, the leader guiding the blind one behind him, and they are all but out of sight as the door in front of the party closes once again.
Party is up. Whether combat continues is up to you.


This message was last edited by the GM at 02:10, Sun 21 Aug 2022.