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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Rybaer" data-source="post: 403716" data-attributes="member: 118">Okay, I suppose I'll offer up an explanation of the full extent of the trap that Rurik set off.  What the group didn't realize was that the Shadow, along with his cursing, fleeing, and the sound of a door slamming shut, were all part of an illusion.  The illusion was created by a former associate of the Shadow's - a gnome illusionist who had been killed several months earlier.See, the Shadow realized that one day someone would finally track him down at his hideout.  He had several nasty traps installed, or improved upon ones that had been made long ago.  He figured that the first few traps would make any intruders more cautious, and less likely to set off this particularly nasty one.  So, he had the illusionist create a visual/audible illusion of him...reacting in an appropriate manner to the presence of intruders.  This was intended to draw the intruders into reckless pursuit...directly into the trap.The Shadow would have been very pleased to know just how well it worked.From my point of view, I thought this was a clever and appropriate trap.  I also figured it was unlikely to cause any serious harm, given that those who always led the way were also the most nimble (Bommer, Amblin, and Nigel)...and would probably make their Ref save to leap out of the way.When they rolled initiative for pursuit of the Shadow, Zalman had the highest with Rurik right behind.  Everyone with high dex and/or Improved Initiative all rolled really badly.  Go figure.  Zalman was safe because he was flying.  I had bad vibes when Rurik went next, though.The giant leeches were basically just slightly scaled up stirges.  The Con drain, on top of his fall/spike damage, killed Rurik in 2 rounds.  (Rurik didn't have a very high con, in spite of being a dwarf and a cleric.)  I think if Zalman had not been stuck on the other side of the steel wall he might have been able to kill the leeches fast enough to save Rurik...possibly by detonating a fireball in the pit.I felt bad for the loss of such a long-standing character.  The dice sometimes fall that way, though.  Even a good roll (initiative) can sometimes come back to haunt you.  I worked out an idea with the player for how to work him back in...so while the others sought a way through the steel wall, he rolled up a new character.</blockquote>

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