D&D 5E CB's Stonefast IC -- COMPLETE

[CanadienneBacon]

OOC: I took that to mean that Spec stood in the five foot square in front of the open doorway and reached out and touched the sarcophagus. This would put Spec on the south side of the sarcophagus. Is that not what you envisioned?

 

[Kobold Stew]

OOC: I'm not going to fight this too hard, since I see it's a trap, but I imagined I had entered the room and gone at least past the doorway -- the empty hand had run along the sarcophagus, blown a nose (and a die roll), and had touched the back wall (spell). Spec is wherever that is possible.

 

[Forged Fury]

OOC: Yup, I'm familiar with the suffocation rules. LOL. The swimming rules are interesting as a check is generally only required in rough water, but I have no problem with the ruling. Fulgrim will do his best to swim. Too bad no Dex Saving Throw to jump out of the way. Strength (Athletics) Check w/Disadvantage: [roll0]; [roll1]

Fulgrim splashed into the water and began to sink like a stone. He pumped his short arms and legs instinctively, trying to head back for the surface.

 

[CanadienneBacon]

OOC: I agree with you, [MENTION=23484]Kobold Stew[/MENTION], that Spec would have had to touch the west wall (where the light spell is fixed). What we need is a map. The open doorway is in the extreme southwestern corner of the room. The west wall is therefore directly adjacent to where Spec's standing. The room is 15' square. The trap is in the northeastern corner of the room. Multiple ability check die rolls resulted in Fulgrim being the one to notice and pursue the seam. The last Wisdom (Perception) check was to notice the trap because without it, there was no chance of Fulgrim's spotting it with his Passive Perception 11, and that seemed patently unfair to me. Could've gone the other way and given a Dexterity saving throw, but with Fulgrim's +1 modifier in both Wisdom and Dexterity, and him having Intelligence and Wisdom for his saving throws, the end result appears to be the same. The Athletics DC is 10. I'm working on the assumption that without a Swim speed, a 5e character treats swimming in water as difficult terrain (and thus half movement). If someone thinks this is incorrect, pipe up, please. If it's half movement, then if Fulgrim double moved, he could get to the rocky outcropping I describe below without needing to make another Athletics check with disadvantage. Or he could elect to tread water and stay put, but may end up needing to make more Athletics checks, with disadvantage.

Fulgrim found himself able to swim if he so chose. The weight of his armor started to pull him beneath the surface of the water, but he treaded water--at least for the moment. There was a rocky ledge to the northeast, perhaps 20' distant. Looking up, he saw he'd fallen through a 5' chute.

 

[Forged Fury]

OOC: Yeah, it's weird. Unless there is some environmental effect, 5e simply treats swimming as difficult terrain, generally with no check required. I'm not sure I understand Fulgrim's situation. I take it the trapdoor isn't flush with the water, that Fulgrim fell 5' down into the water and cannot get out under his own volition. If that's the case, he's swimming to the outcropping as he doesn't want to tread water. But there is air in the chamber he is in.

Fulgrim immediately began to churn his legs. He caught sight of a rocky outcropping nearby and made a beeline for it, not wanting to risk sinking. Hopefully his companions would lower a rope.

 

[CanadienneBacon]

OOC: OK, since the water is not rough, it sounds like 5e does not prescribe an Athletics check (I'm surprised). We'll just roll with difficult terrain and no Athletics check to swim. My concern as DM, however, is that Fulgrim can't touch the bottom. In scale male, it's not unreasonable to sink in water. This might matter more in a few minutes (heh, if you're upset with me now, hold on tight because it's about to get worse), but for now let's just get Fulgrim to the rock ledge. Since you ask, the merit of treading water is that a party member with rope might be able to throw a rope down and haul out Fulgrim. This won't be nearly as easy if Fulgrim swims to the rock ledge. You ask about Fulgrim's situation. The trapdoor is 15' overhead. Fulgrim fell 15' from the floor of the sarcophagus room, then landed in water. The five foot square he landed in is directly beneath the trapdoor. You're in a little 5' "square" of water of indeterminate depth with a smooth wall to the west just inches away, and a rocky wall to the north and south (both also just inches away). To your immediate east, the cavern opens up into an underground reservoir with natural stone walls and water of an indeterminate depth. There is a rock ledge 20' away, on a diagonal to the northeast from your present position. I'll map the cavern Monday morning and will post the map to clarify what I mean. For now, I need to hop off and get to bed. More later, and thanks for your patience. You've been stellar.

 

[Forged Fury]

OOC: Nah, doesn't bother me one way or the other. All I need is someone to drop a rope and I'll be fine. I think the reason 5e doesn't prescribe a Strength check in that situation is the general design approach of not having Save or Die situations and general simplicity.

 

[CanadienneBacon]

OOC: There are a two save-or-die situations in this module. This one is my own design and has been planned since the inception of the game. The other one is nasty, written by Mithgarthr, and entails a hell of a lot fewer die rolls. Given the response to this encounter, the other one makes me hella nervous.

 

[CanadienneBacon]

Fulgrim swam to the rock ledge 20' distant, and hauled himself up. The ledge was wide enough for him to partially lie down, but even his stubby legs hung off into the water. The water was frigid! Stalactites hung from the ceiling; some of them reached almost to the water's surface. The effect was beautiful but treacherous. Too many hiding places in the rocky ceiling.

GM: I need a Perception DC 12 check for Fulgrim. And then Perception DC 12 checks for Spec, Colden, Guran, and Roscoe. If your character has spent the majority of the time in the hallway while the sarcophagus room has been explored, please add +1 to the Perception check. Also, please let me know what Spec, Colden, Guran, and Roscoe wish to do; everyone either heard or saw the sarcophagus pivot, and everyone heard a loud splash in water.

 

[Forged Fury]

OOC: Not sure what about the reaction would give you pause about the next situation. I'm fine with the scenario and rulings/interpretations. Just asking for clarification. Perception = [roll0]

Fulgrim crawled onto the outcropping, breathing heavily. After catching his breath, he yelled out, "Rope! Send down a rope!"