Chapter 15: Q&A / Discussions

[Brian]

I'm going to post Melethos's action now, ahead of Streko, knowing the action won't happen until after Joe posts. Since Joe typically can't post until the evening, and given I don't think Streko can do anything that would effect Melethos's predicament, my posting now might help speed things along later this evening.

[Darren]

Jun 1, 2018 11:50:07 GMT -4 Jeff said:

This?

View Attachment

Perfection.

[Jeff]

Darren, give me a different target for the lightning bolt. Shorak already took down ghoul #5. (I hadn't marked it on the map.)

[Darren]

Let's go with #4.

Also, *I* wanted to skip Last Chance. "Awwww....let's just go!" Y'all said. "It'll be fine. We'll get some supplies, some information...it'll be great! What could possibly go wrong?"

😏

[Jeff]

What ever will you do with all those experience points that come from Last Chance? Life is hard.

[Darren]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMQdqO4RV3w

[Dave W.]

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[Jeff]

Jun 2, 2018 9:56:50 GMT -4 Elvis said:

Jeff, can you clarify what the halflings around Thul are doing? #10 and #11.

I had forgotten them! Rectified. Both ghoul halflings attack Thul, one of them does hit him (9 damage) but he resists the paralyzation!

I appreciate the honest query.

[Elvis]

What if I didn't want the paladin to lay hands on me? 

[Jeff]

To avoid it, Thul needs to invent a time machine, go in it, then travel back to before he grappled the vampire.

Like Adamant's lay on hands, this vampiric variety requires only touch; it's not a spell being cast. If they weren't grappling already, he'd have had to roll to make contact. Thul has already provided that portion.

In any case, it's a unique ability for this oathbound-turned-vampire's part and not something you'll find in a book anywhere.

[Darren]

Jeff, is it possible for Kal to target the swarm of beetles under Streko with a spell without hitting Streko? Something like the lightning bolt from the storm sphere or fire bolt?

[Jeff]

Hmm. For now, I’ll just rule you can target only the swarm in Streko’s space but you’re disadvantaged on the roll.

[Darren]

Would Spell Sniper help with that at all?

[Jeff]

I 100% knew you'd ask me that.

Not in this case, no. Spell Sniper helps with cover, not with advantage/disadvantage. You've got to look at the feat's description. The disadvantage is here Kal trying to be precise enough to not hit his friend.

[Darren]

It never hurts to ask. You've got a lot to keep track of. I can't be sure what you remember and what you don't.

[Jeff]

I hear you, and that's true. But in cases like this, I hear: Will Spell Sniper give me an extra bonus on all my spell attack rolls since a sniper is good with aim? Well no, that's not at all what the feat does.

[Darren]

No, that wasn't my intention at all. I did think there was a chance, though, that Spell Sniper was a feat that would allow Kal to be very good at precisely targeting his spell attacks, which is what he's trying to do in this particular instance, so I thought it might apply. I don't think that's TOO far outside of the intention of the feat. Given that allies normally provide partial cover to enemies when making ranged attacks, and Streko is essentially providing cover for the beetles, I figured it might be a thing. What I would NOT have asked about was if Kal was trying to hit a very small target a mile away that didn't have cover but was very small and you said, "You get disadvantage on that because of the small target," I probably wouldn't have asked.

[Elvis]

Joe, that Shield of Faith spell has been a literal life saver!  

Thanks for the assist!

[Dave W.]

Elvis, I have to say that was quite a plan, dragging the vampire into the storm. kudos

[Brian]

And using Shatter on the vials of holy water. Quite creative. Two thumbs up.

[Elvis]

Thanks!

It was more gamble than anything else with the vials. Jeff was extremely generous. 

Tactically, we need to work as a team. Thul being the biggest offender. But that was by design. Experiencing a number of encounters together, Thul sees what you can do, and vice versa. Experience is a hard teacher. First you get the test, then you learn the lesson. Thul is definitely learning. 

There is a lot of potential here to come up with our own fastball specials.

[Darren]

That's definitely been a weakness for this group for a long time. We're generally not very good at coordinating our attacks to maximize our abilities. I dont know if that's a consequence of play by post or because of who we are and people, but it definitely could use improvement.

[Jeff]

I think this probably isn't the first time Turn Undead was used and then negated less than a round later, not really allowing it a chance to work. Which is fine, if harming your target is the main point. But it's worth talking about between battles—whenever Streko or Adamant use their turning powers, they have to know or remind their companions that it's only effective if you let the turned creatures actually flee.

As for Thul's special attack, this was a special case. I wanted to reward the innovation of it. A strict reading of the Shatter spell wouldn't allow it, since objects worn or held by creatures aren't affected. But he fashioned his bandolier with the intent of allowing the flasks attached to be affected. So that was fine with me, DM's discretion and all. I'm happy to run with creative things, provided you understand they won't always work as desired.

[Elvis]

Turn Undead is tricky. Great if you need to clear them out and away from you... not so great if you have to kill them and they keep running away.

[Darren]

If this fight had gone differently and Kal hadn't been occupied with fire walls and storm spheres, I was totally going to use animated objects to have the holy water vials Kal is carrying run up and start attacking and/or breaking themselves against their foes.

[Brian]

Jun 4, 2018 18:04:07 GMT -4 Darren said:

If this fight had gone differently and Kal hadn't been occupied with fire walls and storm spheres, I was totally going to use animated objects to have the holy water vials Kal is carrying run up and start attacking and/or breaking themselves against their foes.

What a wonderful alternate version of the animated object attack from Beauty and the Beast.

[Jeff]

Be Kal’s guest.

[Elvis]

Jun 4, 2018 18:04:07 GMT -4 Darren said:

If this fight had gone differently and Kal hadn't been occupied with fire walls and storm spheres, I was totally going to use animated objects to have the holy water vials Kal is carrying run up and start attacking and/or breaking themselves against their foes.

Right there. Perfect.

Animate them then shatter. That should work.

[Dave B.]

Shorak has never attacked a turned undead. He knows better.

[Dave B.]

Dave W. - I believe that you can move Adamant that 1 square north, since you are technically not leaving the threat range of your foe. Is that right, Jeff?