Dungeon Raiders: The Wolf's Den

[Li Shenron]

If you are now venturing into the boulder maze, we should agree on a marching order, or more appropriately a "crawling order" We can use the same order as initiative (we can keep that order also for the fight continuation), unless some of view specifically want to stay in the front or in the back. There are different routes, if you want to split the party (!).

With the dim light from Sulannus' spell, nobody will have visibility problems, but let me otherwise recap the weapons limitations you are expecting, should you need to fight while crawling between the boulders:

- ranged weapons won't work
- bludgeoning melee weapons won't work
- melee slashing/piercing weapons that are neither light nor finesse will have disadvantage*
- light and finesse melee slashing/piercing weapons have no problem

*except for Bartleby

 

[Kobold Stew]

Bartleby uses a scimitar anyways, so it's all good.

I think even with the Initiative order as it is, Aeiyan and Bartleby are at the front (they've moved this turn). Is that right?

 

[tuxgeo]

[OOC: What he said!]

[And further OOC: Aside from Aeiyan's wanting to get ahead of the only healer in the party who still has castable spells left -- so the healer doesn't go down first, thereby obviating any potential healing he might cast -- Aeiyan hasn't yet seen either Tock or Rejik use a weapon that is suited to close-in work. He doesn't want them taking the lead, because they might therefore be less effective than others.]

[And even further OOC ("Beyond Thunderdome"): What kind of route are the party members looking at? Are they crawling over the top of the boulders; or are they crawling in cramped heights under the rounded edges of the boulders, where the boulders meet and touch each other about chest height, only to separate again lower down? Are they crawling on the dirt floor, where there is limited space?]

 

[Li Shenron]

I think even with the Initiative order as it is, Aeiyan and Bartleby are at the front (they've moved this turn). Is that right?

There is basically room for only one at the front, you can imagine you have to go in a line, but it's not a single passage but rather a network of passages between the boulders (so someone in the middle might also be attacked sometimes at an intersection).

Essentially the idea is that if you encounter a ghoul on the front, only the PC on the front is able to fight it, and similarly if a ghoul springs up on your back, or at an intersection. Let's say that spells can be cast by the next person in the line (but I would advise against casting Burning Hands).

What kind of route are the party members looking at? Are they crawling over the top of the boulders; or are they crawling in cramped heights under the rounded edges of the boulders, where the boulders meet and touch each other about chest height, only to separate again lower down? Are they crawling on the dirt floor, where there is limited space?]

Truth is, it might be a little bit of everything, the area is very irregular. It's described as a network of very narrow passages between boulders, with rubble and bones (presumably the ghouls victims) scattered around.

But to simplify rules-wise, I am trying to use the same rules on weapon usage for the whole area.

 

[wedgeski]

[OOC: Rejik has no option but to switch to his javelin, which he will use in melee at disadvantage. With regards to marching order, he has no issue going at the front but understands the tactical wisdom of not doing that, so suggests slotting in third. It might also then be simpler to assume that we re-jig our initiative order to be the same as our marching order.]

 

[Li Shenron]

[OOC: Rejik has no option but to switch to his javelin, which he will use in melee at disadvantage. With regards to marching order, he has no issue going at the front but understands the tactical wisdom of not doing that, so suggests slotting in third. It might also then be simpler to assume that we re-jig our initiative order to be the same as our marching order.]

[OoC: that's fine for me, or alternatively we can play without initiative, since in each possible direction only the PC in the front can fight effectively; the second can cast spells that don't need an attack roll - don't go third but go second if you want to cast healing spells on the first PC]

 

[wedgeski]

[OoC: that's fine for me, or alternatively we can play without initiative, since in each possible direction only the PC in the front can fight effectively; the second can cast spells that don't need an attack roll - don't go third but go second if you want to cast healing spells on the first PC]

[OOC: Alright! Whoever it is that's pushing ahead at the front, Rejik will step in behind him.]

 

[tuxgeo]

[OOC1: The party is at a disadvantage if they are going in linear fashion while the foe are moving in two dimensions and circling around from the sides.]

[OOC2: The 1st-level Ranger ability of "Tracking" appears unhelpful here: it tells whether creatures have passed within 100 feet, which we already know to be the case.]

[OOC3: I was going to ask whether Aeiyan's Perception could tell him which path the ghouls took recently, but it occurred to me that the answer wouldn't do him any good, because they could circle around and come back by a different route, to attack from behind. . . .]

[OOC4: Bartleby still has healing magic left, Rejik doesn't. The party has taken a short rest, not a long one. (Is that true?) If that is still the case, Bartleby should be second in line, behind the front; however, Bartleby doesn't have any attack cantrips (I just checked), and neither does Rejik; while Sulannus has Ray of Frost.]

[OOC5: I was thinking somebody could borrow Aeiyan's dagger for close-in work, because he is not using it; but I have already declared his action for now.]

 

[Kobold Stew]

All OOC:

I have stated that I think Bartleby should be at or near the front.

(a) like Aeiyan he has yet to perform an action this round
(b) he uses a finesse weapon
(c) as a dwarf he cannot become lost underground.
(d) he has a high AC.
(e) he is willing.

Paralysis in these cramped quarters is going to be terrible, however, and by not acting right away, we risk meeting more of the creatures, who may be as yet unwounded. It's been suggested Bart keep to the middle because of his healing spells -- there are many potions around; including one he has given away. If there is a real possibility of anyone in a line being attacked, then any preparation is useless anyways. Once one person is paralyzed, we're not moving anywhere for ten rounds.

If we're going in, someone with a finesse weapon should be at the front, and another at the back.
If we're not, then we let them run and think about how to gather all the creatures among the rocks into the same place, and we set up for the next encounter.*

*Since both ghouls retreated, my sense is that it was a successful encounter, XP-wise: they have been routed (DM Guidelines p. 17), so at least there's that.

 

[Jimmy Disco T]

OOC: Tock has a dagger which I think will be ok in the boulders, but he took a nasty wound in the fight. Not sure if Protection style will work in the cramped tunnels. If we want a fighter type at the rear, Tock will be willing to take the rearguard.