Round 2
Grakk roars, his muscles visibly swelling and stony protrusions forming on his rough hide. He swings a vast overhand stroke at the undead drake gripping his thigh, and though his stroke misses the spine, it still smashes several ribs.
Morvannon circles the fight, and sends a sheet of flame cascading over the drake clutching Grakk. It sizzles and smokes, silently withering away, until the core of the necrotic energy powering it can clearly be seen through its patchwork frame. The stench is terrible, but a red gleam still lights its empty eye sockets.
Vixo hurls a dagger almost absently, missing everything, but scrapes the worst of the paralyzing goo off of himself.
Magnus looks at the ritual setup more carefully, with an eye towards how it might be disturbed.
[sblock=religion or arcana DC 10]There are no obvious physical components to the ritual, like candles or powder diagrams strewn on the altar. There are designs on the altar, but they appear to be permanent, etched or built directly into the huge block of stone.
[sblock=DC 15]The pool of ooze seems to be some kind of material component to the spell. The pattern of movement in the ghostly lights beneath the surface is linked to the rise and fall of the gutteral chanting, and out of the corner of your eye you can almost see faint traceries of insubstantial energy linking the altar and the pool.
[sblock=DC 20]The positioning of the altar, suspended over the pool, must surely be significant. If the altar could be moved, such as by breaking the chains holding it in place, or Slardazial forced away from the altar, that would surely interrupt the ritual.
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Magnus, turning his attention to more immediate matters, steps away from the undead dogging his steps, and with a blast of thunder, shatters their fragile bones to flinders. The grave drake, made of sterner stuff, is still forced back into the writhing shadows. Magnus presses the advantage, conjuring a huge orb of whirling flame. It lashes out at the drake, but the flame washes harmlessly over it.
Kamotz grits his teeth as the pit's noxious fluid eats away at his flesh. He transforms, teeth lengthening and coarse fur sprouting around his body, as he stands and hauls himself from the pit. Quickly, he directs his holy symbol at Grakk's foe, and a wash of radiant power cascades over the monster. its spine falls to pieces, limbs and ribs falling into a clattering pile of bones. But, somehow, its fearsome jaws remain intact, and a tiny spark of hatred lights its eyes as it keeps gnawing on Grakk from beyond death itself.
[sblock=Religion or Arcana or Nature or Dungeoneering, DC 15]It's common knowledge that most undead are especially weak against the radiant power of the gods. But when Kamotz hit the grave drake, it seemed to have no particular additional potency. Perhaps this is the form that the ritual's empowerment of nearby undead takes?[/sblock]
Vrrsk't absently crushes the skull of the zombie pestering him, and rushes to Kamotz' side. With a touch and a whispered prayer, life flows into the beleaguered cleric, restoring much of his eroded skin.
The zombie standing next to Magnus' ball of flame suddenly bursts into flames itself, crumbling in a heap. The two zombies near Grakk circle the barbarian, and one of them finds purchase with its claws, but the stony protrusions from Grakk's hide foil its attack.
The animated corpse with the extra-large jaws casts a spell, and a ghostly hand suddenly grips Magnus, pulling him closer to the center. The corpse-being circles wide around the fireball.
The dead drake whose head is still attached to Grakk's leg grinds its jaws together, and a spray of blood erupts as its rotting teeth sever a vessel. Then the spark dies from its eye sockets, and the jaws fall to the floor with the rest of the pile of bones.
The other drake, seeing Magnus now within reach, charges, latching on to the dwarf with its own set of oversized jaws.
The deathwight lurches towards Grakk, turning at the last moment and, suddenly pulling aside a tattered cowl, exposes a face of such awful horror to Kamotz and Vrrsk't that the latter is flung prone, while the former recoils in terror, leaping thoughtlessly right back into the pit of filth. Which, in turn begins to eat away his flesh again.
Slardazial's voice seems to take on a hint of satisfaction as he chants, gaining strength all the while.
The pretty girl chained to the wall tugs with all her might, and manages to pull one of the links free. She rushes toward Morvannon, her face tear-streaked as she pleads for help.
[sblock=ooc]Grakk uses stones endurance. Rage attack misses, but does half damage, and Grakk has his bloodhunt rage on.
Morvannon curses drake 2 and crits for 29 damage. It is indeed bloodied.
Vixo misses, but makes his save.
Magnus uses second wind. He hits three targets with thunderwave. The rotters drop, and the grave drake takes 6 and is pushed into the grasping shadows, taking 4 more and becoming slowed TENT. He spends an AP on a flaming sphere, which misses. The grasping shadows zone expires.
Kamotz is hit by the pit again, taking 6 more necrotic and 5 ongoing necrotic, bloodying him. He stands and climbs out of the pit, taking two move actions, and spends his AP for sacred flame on drake 2, hitting for 9 radiant damage. (You forgot your +2 from longtooth shifting!) The ritual suppresses its normal radiant vulnerability, so it's just 9. That drops it below zero, though, which triggers its Death Grip power: it makes a bite attack against Grakk.
16 vs. AC misses, but it can still sustain its grab until the end of its next turn, despite being dead. Kamotz spends divine fortune, and makes his save. Grakk has nothing to save against, so I'll give him the 2 temp hp.
Vrrsk't drops rotter 7, gains 2 temp hp, moves to Kamotz, and lays on hands. Kamotz is no longer bloodied.
Rotter 2 dies. Rotters 3 and 8 move around Grakk, working towards flanking positions but not quite getting there. They attack. One hits, dealing 5 damage, but Grakk resists all of it.
Maw uses Claw of Karalel:
crit. No damage (dammit) but Magnus is pulled 3 squares. That's reduced to 2 because he's a dwarf, but it brings Magnus into charging range for the drake. Maw moves to Q7, avoiding the sphere.
Drake 1 takes 8 fire damage from the sphere. It charges Magnus:
24 vs. AC hits for 5 damage, and Magnus is grabbed.
Drake 2 gnaws on Grakk:
crit for 19 damage, of which Grakk resists 5. Grakk is bloodied. Drake 2's grip fails at the end of its turn, and it falls off, really dead now.
The wight moves down, and uses Horrific Visage. Close blast 5 catches Kamotz and Vrrsk't:
18 vs Will hits Kamotz for 2 damage, and Vrrsk't catches a crit for 6 damage. Both are pushed 3 squares west, unless they make a saving throw to fall prone instead. I'm going to assume they want to try the save, and roll for them:
Kamotz fails, Vrrsk't succeeds and falls prone. Kamotz gets another taste of the goo,
18 vs. Fort hits for 4 necrotic, and 5 ongoing necrotic and slowed (se both). Kamotz is bloodied again. This time, he's not prone, though.
Slardazial regens 20, and continues the ritual.
Pretty girl escapes her bonds and moves south.
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[sblock=status and initiative]
- Kamotz 14/31 hp, 7/9 surges, regen 2 while bloodied, +2 to damage rolls until unconscious, 5 ongoing necrotic and slowed (se both), bloodied
- Vrrsk't 22/35 hp +2 temp hp, 9/12 surges, prone
- Vixo 29/38 hp, 7/9 surges, immobilized (se)
- Morvannon 30/32 hp, 6/8 surges, concealment
- Magnus 16/29 hp, 6/8 surges, +2 def tsnt, grabbed by drake 1
- Grakk 21/44 hp, 9/12 surges, resist 5 all TENT, bloodhunt rage, bloodied
- Wight unharmed
- Grave Drake 1 23 damage, slowed (tent)
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Grave Drake 2 dead
- Maw 5 damage
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Rotter 1 dead
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Rotter 2 dead
- Rotter 3 unharmed
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Rotter 4 dead
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Rotter 5 dead
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Rotter 6 dead
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Rotter 7 dead
- Rotter 8 unharmed
- Slardazial +31 healed
Resources used:
- Grakk: AP, bloodhunt rage, Stone's Endurance
- Magnus: AP, flaming sphere, Grasping Shadows, second wind
- Morvannon: AP, Witchfire
- Kamotz: AP, Beacon of Hope, channel divinity
- Vixo: Blinding Barrage, Duelist's dagger
- Vrrsk't: Lay on hands x1
- Wight: horrific visage
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[sblock=Enemy stats]
Slardazial HP ??, AC 18, Fort 22, Reflex 18, Will 20.
While the ritual is going: resist 10 all, regen 20, and he can use the following power:
Back Off, Bub: immediate reaction, when an enemy moves into an adjacent square: +8 vs. Fort, and the target is pushed 2 squares.
Pit of Unspeakable Filth
When a creature enters or starts it turn in the filth, it makes an attack: +7 vs Fort, 1d10 necrotic damage, and the target is slowed and takes 5 ongoing necrotic (save ends both)
Zombie Rotter 1 HP, a missed attack never damages them. AC 13, For 13, Ref 9, Will 10.
+6 vs. AC, 5 damage
Grave Drake: 49 HP, AC 19, Fort 16, Ref 15, Will 14
+9 vs. AC, 1d10+3 damage and the target is grabbed
Deathlock Wight: 54 HP, AC 18, Fort 15, Ref 16, Will 17
+9 vs. AC, 1d6 damage and the target loses a healing surge
Maw: 44 HP, AC 17, For 14, Ref 15, Will 14
+8 vs. AC, 1d8+2 damage
Chains: 15 HP each, AC 8, Fort 8, Ref 8, Will N/A
Chains have +12 to all defenses against ranged attacks from non-adjacent squares.
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[sblock=map and terrain notes]
The pit's surface is 5' below ground level. Climbing out takes a DC 10 athletics check.
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