CB's The Sunless Citadel v3.5

"Ratsssss. Three large ratssss," is Korgrave's response to Elyan's question. Eyeing up the one hanging back, the half-orc loads his sling and takes aim, letting the stone fly loose at the optimal time in it's arc.

Sling Attack +2 [base] - 2 [range] (additional -4 [firing into melee] if Kiaphas steps up next to it, and +1 [morale] if Elyan sings) for 1d4+2 (+1 [morale] if Elyan sings) if it hits.

Karl continues his somewhat dramatic decent down to his friends.

"Coming."


[ooc: climb +5 (-5 for double speed = +0), 30 ft.]

Elyan sings of serried ranks and bright shining swords, of foes dropping like flies, and the cause of good triumphant.

The bloodsucker affixed to Grotzkoshter increases its pressure this round and with a great and mighty pull, drains Grotz of 4 points of Constitution. Detaching itself and obviously getting ready to fly off, its gut full of its bloody gorge, Grotz finds himself with an opening to attack. In a flash, Grotz tries to grab the bloodsucker. Though he gets a hand on one of the creature's eight pincers, the bloodsucker wrests itself free and flies unsteadily off across the open chasm opposite the edge of the sandy ledge. 40 feet away by the end of its flight, the creature looks to be ready to dip down into the depths of the cavern below.

Grotz grasps the haft of his axe from his back and, ignoring the blood trickling down the back of his neck, swings at Rat 3. With a crunch and a snap, the greataxe cleaves through Rat 3, instantly killing the beastly rat. Using the momentum from his cleave to swing at Rat 2, Grotz's balance is unfortunately thrown off just as Rat 2 skitters backward, out of harm's way.

Karl, still clinging to the rope on his climb down, finds that the rope swings to the side for some reason. Denied the benefit of both the rope and the rocky wall of the ravine, Karl makes no downward progress this round.

Rolled a 2. At least Karl didn't fall.

Dire Rat 2 circles wide then comes back in just at the lip of the ledge to try to bite at Kiaphas, the sweeter meat. Snarling with yellowed incisors and a feral gleam in its eyes, the rat misses Kiaphas.

Finding that he needn't move other than to ready his buckler, Kiaphas swings his longsword at Rat 2, connecting for 9 points of damage. Dire Rat 2 hisses and keels to the side, falling off the ledge and landing with a wet splat 30 feet down on a craggy precipice.

Dire Rat 1, larger than the other two rats but obviously wounded, rushes in to bite at Kiaphas's leathered legs. Sharp fangs sink into muscle as the rat bites Kiaphas on the side of the calf, dealing 2 points of damage. Already the wound feels hot and a weakness seems to spread from the bite mark upward.

Elyan launches into a voluminous battle song that readily echoes off the ravine walls to reach the ears of Karl, Grotz, and Kiaphas down below.

Inspire courage for +1 morale bonus to attack and damage rolls, as well as a boost to saves vs. charm and fear effects. Please add this bonus in to your characters' actions.

Korgrave launches a stone at Rat 1. The shot from the sling is a very narrow miss but fails to hit the beast and instead joins the pile of rocky rubble strewn about the ledge.

Initiative
Grotz 19
Karl 13
Kiaphas 10
Dire Rat 1
Elyan 6
Korgrave 5

Unless he's advised that the fight is over, Elyan will continue to sing. If it's finished by his turn, he'll reassure Rogue and get ready to pull the rope back up so that the basket can be tied to it.

Grotzkoshter

Curse upon those rats, I had it with them
Grotz moves to take position in front of the rat 5ft. down.
He takes a good grip with two hands on his greataxe and land it on the rat.

Attack (Greataxe): +8 (two hands, elyan's song included)
Greataxe 1d12+8 (+1 elyan's song included)

Kiaphas

Kiaphas attacks the last rat, concern for his life and his precarious position on the ledge holds him back slightly.

[sblock]fighting defensively-Longsword +0 melee (1d8+3), AC:18[/sblock]

Depending on the last rat status, Karl climbs either up or down, at a more normal pace now.



[ooc: climb +5]

Second verse, same as the first for Korgrave, provided the rat is still alive. Otherwise, he'll inform Elyan that things seem to be calm for the moment and helps him prepare to lower the dog down.

Sling Attack +2 [base] - 2 [range] -4 [firing into melee] +1 [morale] for 1d4+2 [str] +1 [morale]

Grotz takes a five foot step toward Dire Rat 1 and rains a masterful blow on the creature's head, hacking its skull into pulp that mixes with the sand and rocks of the ledge.

End of initiative.

Karl sees Grotz take down the rat and climbs back up to the top of the ravine, this time taking his time and exercising more caution. After a quarter of a minute or so, Karl returns to the top of the ravine.

Kiaphas finds himself down on the ledge with Grotz and two smashed up rats. A pair of stairs are opposite, and the ledge itself is strewn with rubble. A ring of stones lies in the rubble near the stairs.

With Korgrave to help, Elyan waits until Karl returns up top and then begins to pull the rope up so that it may be tied to the wicker basket in preparation of Rogue's descent.