Swamp Trek III: The Search for Ter-raen

[jkason]

Weel Naxel, human cleric

As Karl grabs at Weel's arm, he protests a moment: "But we can't just ... they're our friends, and ..." Whatever his naive ideals, however, Weel's terror at what he's facing, and the urging of his companion, win out. Praying to Phyrah that his companions can somehow find a path to escape, he sets out at best speed away from the hydra, sticking to dry ground.

[sblock=OOC]Been having spotty access of late, so if any more is needed: Weel's running. If it sounds like the Hydra's starting to chase / close, he'll use his Longstrider spell to try to speed up, but otherwise, just looking to get the heck out of the way, hopefully out of earshot of the screaming and crunching.[/sblock]

 

[covaithe]

ooc: Ok, so Gildrim's staying, and wants me to roll it out. Weel's running, and sounds like he doesn't mind if I roll it out. Richard... really hasn't made things clear. It looks like he's staying, but wants to play it out himself? Not clear. Still haven't heard from Karl.

I'm willing to fast-forward this fight to its end, but I'm not going to do it until I've got explicit confirmation from all of the characters who are staying to the bitter end that that's what they want me to do. Reason being, this could quite easily be the last decision you make for your character. So far, I've only got that explicit confirmation from Gildrim and Weel.

 

[Scott DeWar]

Karl is running and headed toward the temple.

 

[Richard Rawen]

OOC: Richard will continue to move as able, just enough to set up Flanking.
Other than a lot of angst and frustration, which my character shares, there's nothing left to RP. Roll it.

 

[Scott DeWar]

Ps: just roll what ever Karl runs into and let me know what it is and i will let you know how he reacts.

 

[covaithe]

Karl and Weel run.

Gildrim and Richard battle vigorously, but without support, without a good tactical position, and without much hope, they find that the hydra is simply too much for them. Richard falls quickly, leaving Gildrim to fight an increasingly hopeless battle for long moments before he, too, succumbs. His dwarven constitition struggles on despite him, and somehow, he keeps breathing shallowly as the hydra carries his and Richard's bodies back to its lair.

[sblock=ooc]Right, then. Here we go.

Round 5: Gildrim swings and misses. His AC is at 19 for this round. He crouches, gaining improved cover.

Richard hits for 17. He moves to U30, not provoking AoOs due to cover. I don't think it's really possible to get into flanking position without either drawing AoOs by moving across shallow bog squares, or luring the hydra into deeper water, which would require coordinated movement between Gildrim and Richard, and giving up a round or two of attacks. That's well beyond the scope of the tactics you've described to me, so I'm going to assume that instead, you both use your move actions to crouch or stand, gaining improved cover half of the time.

Karl and Weel run away.

Hydra heals 15, leaving it with 9 damage. It puts all 5 heads toward Richard: hits once for 9 damage.

Round 6: Gildrim stands and misses, due to cover from the bog.

Richard misses too, and crouches, gaining improved cover.

The hydra heals to full. It splits its attacks, 3 to gildrim followed by 2 to Richard: all misses.

Round 7: Gildrim misses and crouches.

Richard stands and misses.

The hydra splits again, same as before: all misses. This is ridiculous.

Round 8: Gildrim stands and hits for 9 damage.

Richard misses and crouches.

Hydra heals to full and attacks: hits richard for 10, threat not backed up.

Round 9: Gildrim hits for 14, threat not backed up, and crouches.

Richard stands and misses.

Hydra heals to full. It hits Richard again for 10, dropping him to -3.

Round 10: Gildrim stands and hits for 11.

Richard fails to stabilize and drops to -4.

Hydra heals to full and goes after Gildrim: all misses.

Round 11: Gildrim misses and crouches.

Richard fails to stabilize and drops to -5.

Hydra attacks Gildrim, all misses.

Round 12: Gildrim stands and hits for 11.

Richard fails to stabilize and drops to -6.

Hydra heals to full and hits Gildrim twice. One is a confirmed crit. Total damage 21.

Round 13: Gildrim misses and crouches.

Richard fails to stabilize, and drops to -7.

Hydra misses Gildrim.

Round 14: Gildrim stands and hits for 7 damage.

Richard fails to stabilize and drops to -8.

Hydra hits Gildrim once for 5 damage. That drops him to -1.

Richard fails to stabilize twice more, and dies in round 16.

Gildrim stabilizes at -4 in round 17. His next percentage roll after that is a success, so he wakes up an hour later, disabled and still at -4 HP, in the corner of a hydra's nest, next to Richard's half-eaten corpse, with the hydra snoring in the other corner. Grendath has a sick sense of humor where Gildrim is concerned.

Given that you don't seem to have too much interest in continuing Gildrim's story, I think maybe we can leave him there, eh?
[/sblock]

 

[Richard Rawen]

a final OOC: Richard has a couple healing potions in his pack if Gildrim can move.

Richard's eulogy:
The poor boy just couldn't turn his back on his comrade, and although he managed to convince two of his compatriots to flee, in the end his life was worth nothing more than the whim of 'fate'.
And a ridiculously underpowered (CR wise) monster.
RIP Richard.

As a personal observation of a Player/DM of over 25 years of D&D and many other RPG's: Players don't necessarily feel like they've "lost the game" when their character dies.
When the DM gives players no way out, then kills their Characters, he loses all respect of his players, and that is the only way a DM loses this game.

But what do I know. I'm just another long term player of LEW who won't likely be back.

 

[covaithe]

Thanks for playing, Richard. I'm sorry you feel mistreated. In the end, despite multiple opportunities to escape, you chose to die rather than abandon your character's principles, for which you have my respect.

 

[Scott DeWar]

We are still waiting for trouvere to get back from vacation, right?

 

[Trouvere]

Gildrim wakes from dark dreams to find his situation is much as he expected. Well, he didn't go down without a fight, and he's still not resigned to his fate now. The potion accepted from the bereaved storekeepers in Cragger's Rest restores him somewhat.

As quietly as he can, he rises and crosses the lair, his old longsword whispering from its sheath. Or at least, murmuring. Though a halfling would laugh at his clumsy attempts at stealth, the hydra is well fed and sleeping just deeply enough that it doesn't stir.

He takes his time, lines up the point, and drives the blade home into what he hopes is the huge beast's heart.

The hydra shudders and dies instantly. Gildrim lets out a long held breath.

"Nice try, ye baistaird," he snarls. There's no one around to decide whether he means the hydra, Grendath, or even someone else entirely.

"Och, Richard, laddie, Ah'm sae sorry." Gildrim inspects the body, draws one of the young human's daggers and uses it to remove a finger. He carefully tucks the grisly memento away.

With dwarven bloodymindedness towards burdens, he strips what he can from the body and loads himself up. "Mebbe thaur's a priest wha can...." he says, patting the pocket where the finger is stowed.

Then he sets off, following the tracks of the hydra back towards the scene of their battle.

OOC: CMW 2d8+3=10; he's on 6 HP.
Listen vs Move Silently 1d20+6-10=0; 1d20-5=4. What do you know.
Longsword coup de grace, 2d8+8=23; Fort save DC 33 (needs a natural 20) 1d20+9=13 Aw, shame.