GM: | BTW: No one has had a short rest yet. Technically, this is the same encounter. | |
Not waiting for the others, Draglin charges through the doorway and down into the cellar.
Dante, Virgil, and Mab follow close behind the dragonborn.
As the four enter the cellar, they discover how such a small kitchen can serve such a large inn. The cellar is fifteen feet deep, containing enough food stores for a small army, and enough wine to fill five enormous casks that line the cellar's walls as well as several rows of tall wine racks.
At first there is no sign of the assailant, but then Draglin sees him run behind a rack of wine bottles at the far end of the cellar.
As they descend the wooden staircase, virgil scampers to the floor below and sniffs the air. The ruffian is still behind the wine racks, and the lizard's keen tongue picks up the thug's foul odor. Turning back to warn the others, the reptile sees an expression of surprise on Draglin's face.
The dragonborn's hind talon gives a little as if the platform had a loose board.
Too late, the seasoned fighter realizes that he's set off a trap. A chain to the left of the dragonborn's leg looses itself from the platform and rises like a bat out of the nine hells, slithering through a pulley on the ceiling. At the other end of the chain is a cage that comes crashing down onto the platform behind Draglin.
At first he is relieved at having avoided the iron sarcophagus, but to his dismay, he realizes that his comrade, Dante, is not so lucky.
The cage encircles the ranger, and a silvery substance on the iron bars immediately irrupts into flames, creating a fiery barrier on the staircase platform between Draglin and Mab.
The force of the impact weakens the platform from which the stairs descend, and Dante is thrown to the floor below into a set of sharp spikes, obviously prepared for the unfortunate creature caught by the cage.
Max and Gloom arrive presently, only in time to witness the conflagratory aftermath, and are stuck, along with Mab at the top of the shattered staircase. At the bottom, Draglin and virgil find themselves isolated, watching their friend slowly burn to death.
[sblock=Enemy Actions]
Human Ruffian
Move: Behind wine rack at L1
Stealth: 1d20+14=19
Fiery Cage
Target: Creature in N12
Attack:
1d20+20+2(CA)=25 vs. Fortitude for 2d8+6+4(See Elemental Accelerant)=19 fire damage, 10 ongoing
fire damage, and Dante is immobilized (save ends both), -4 to saves vs. fire effects.
Spiked Pit Trap
Target: Creature in N12
Attack:
1d20+19+2(CA)=27 vs. Reflex for 2d10 + 1d8 + 11=17 Fall & Spikes damage, 10 ongoing poison damage (separate save ends), and Dante falls prone.
Secondary Attack (Infernal Oil):
1d20+18+2(CA)=38 vs. Reflex, Dante gains vulnerable 10 fire damage
(separate save ends).[/sblock][sblock=status]
Gloom
M14 20/81HP 11/11HS 0AP
Bloodied Dying
Draglin
N10 32/74HP 5/9HS Bloodied 1AP, Rain of Steel (1d6+4 damage to enemies starting turns adjacent to Draglin, rolled during Draglin's turn)
Dante
N12 12(-18)/67HP 5/6HS 0AP
Bloodied, Immobilized, OG 10 fire (save ends both), OG 10 poison (separate save ends), Vulnerable 10 fire (separate save ends), Prone.
Virgil
N9 76/94 2/2HS
Auntie Mab
M13 47/60HP 7/7HS 0AP
Max
M15 45/67HP 8/8HS 1AP
Human Ruffian 1
L1 4/96HP Bloodied Dazzling Strike Hidden
Human Slavehunter -S,-1 -7/103HP Dead
Human Ruffian 4 -T,-3 0/96HP Dead
Human Knife Fighter -V,-4 -7/214HP Dead
Human Blademaster 2 -S,0 15/94HP Dead
Human Ruffian 3 -U,-5 -18/96HP Dead
Human Blademaster 1 -12/94HP Dead
Human Ruffian -22/96HP Dead
[/sblock][sblock=Map]
[/sblock][sblock=Terrain]
The Staircase: The staircase is in tatters. Mab, Max, and Gloom are 15 feet above the cellar floor. The stairs are demolished, but the walls still have various timbers attached. Reaching the floor can be done in one move action by:
- Scaling the wall (DC 25 athletics check) will get them safely to the floor. Failure by 4 or less means that the PCs turn ends on the rope. Failure by 5 or more means that the PC falls, taking 2d10 fall damage.
- Using a rope (DC 10 Athletics check) will get you down, but there is a 50/50 chance that the rope will catch fire from the cage causing 1d10 fire damage to the climbing PC, destroying the rope, and causing a fall for 1d10 fall damage.
- Jumping down will reduce damage to 1d6 fall damage on a successful DC 18 Acrobatics check.
GM: | I am, however, open to creative solutions | |
Wine Racks: These block line of sight and effect. They can be toppled by a DC 20 strength check. Once toppled, squares on the opposite side of the toppling creature are difficult terrain until the end of the encounter. Creatures in this area when the wine rack topples take 1d6 damage and grant CA until the start of their next turn.
Foodstuff Pile: This pile blocks line of sight and effect. The pile cannot be knocked over, but it can be climbed requiring 3 squares of movement per map square. The climbing creature must succeed on a DC 20 Acrobatics check, or fall, taking 1d10 fall damage.
"Small" Barrels (I7-G7 and I9-G9): These barrels are five feet long and 3 feet in diameter. They are stacked to the ceiling. They block line of sight and effect. They cannot be moved because they are bolted into place on a frame. Since they are stacked to the ceiling there is really no incentive to climb them.
Large Casks: These enormous casks block line of sight and effect. They too are immobile.
Cellar door: There is a keg ramp up a small set of stairs at the far end of the cellar that leads to the street. The door is padlocked from the outside and barred from the inside.
"Secret" Passage: At K13, there is a man-sized opening in the wall leading down a dark corridor, that has been boarded over. A rope hangs down from the ceiling in front of the boards reading, "Closed by order of the Nightwatch."
Desk and Shelf (I5-F5): Basic furniture. Costs 1 extra square of movement to climb over, provides cover to those on the opposite side, can be flipped with a DC 15 strength check. Flipped tables grant total concealment and superior cover to prone creatures on the opposite side. Ths table contains some books and ledgers, a quill, and inkwell, a candelabra, and a strongbox.
The Grate (C12-B13): This serves as the drainage point in the floor. Water can be heard gurgling beneath. A DC 15 strength check can open the grate. The closed grate does not hinder movement.[/sblock][sblock=Fiery Cage]
[/sblock]
[sblock=Spiked Pit Trap]
[/sblock][sblock=Infernal Oil]
[/sblock]
[sblock=Elemental Accelerant]
[/sblock]
OOC:
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I know it's been a long time, so I'll follow up later with a synopsis of the adventure to this point.
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