Chapter 16: Q&A / Discussion

[Darren]

Jeff, how did Zafnou move away? She's restrained until the start of Kal's next turn.....

[Jeff]

Look at me jumping the gun!

Yup.

Question in turn: is Kal prepared to Counterspell?

[Darren]

Jul 12, 2019 14:01:17 GMT -4 Jeff said:

Look at me jumping the gun!

Yup.

Question in turn: is Kal prepared to Counterspell?

Probably, except he's standing in a sphere of silence, so......

[Jeff]

Quite right.

Recommendation for future battles: don't just talk about formations. Talk about spells and combinations. A Silence spell can be helpful at the right time, but it can also hinder allies. Same with Storm Sphere, Wall of Fire, etc. Anyway, just worth talking about.

[Brian]

This is a fun battle, and it isn't even over yet. I'd like to commend Elvis on a brilliant use of a shatter spell and keeping the blue sladdi from being another battle front, and Darren for a brilliant use of his sword and holding the efreeti. Damn fine work.

[Jeff]

It's been good uses of Inspiration, too.

[Darren]

Jeff, I didn't roll attacks for Lightning Orb because it requires Zafnou to make a Dexterity Save. Sorry I forgot to say that in the post.

[Jeff]

Ah, okay. Yeah, please add whatever mechanics you can in your posts. As you can see, there are a lot of moving parts in this battle. If you leave something for me to figure out from one of your actions, there's a good chance I'll overlook it.

Anyway, I've adjusted my post: she got hit!

[Dave W.]

hey, i know its a long shot but does Zafnou need to make concentration checks on invisibility for taking some minor damage? its just that id rather not do disadvantaged attacks...

[Jeff]

Not so long a shot. I've added those rolls to my post (she's still invisible).

[Darren]

Jeff, I have a few questions, and some comments for the group at large....

First, and Kal will address this in character as soon as I post again...we NEED to get that door down. Everything else should become secondary at this point. Focus all energy on getting into that room and taking out the obelisk or at least the guy controlling it.

Now, Jeff....first of all, Kal will use the power of his armor to half the damage from that frost attack, please and thank you.

Second, if Kal were to use one of the doses of his Potion of Growth, would that be of use to him in trying to break down the door? I know you said it's magically locked, but that it can still, in theory, be bashed down. Would being a Large creature (and having advantage on Strength checks) be of use in that situation?

[Brian]

Jeff, a 19 does not hit Melethos. His AC is 21. So only the first attack hit.

Too bad you glitched out the first roll. The elemental would have missed twice...again.

[Jeff]

Right! After each of my big complicated posts, I have that thought. All right, what did I forget in this one....?

Amended, Brian. 11 hit points back, second attack roll from Earthy was a miss.

Darren, re: the armor, I will also make this adjustment. But I want to clarify it, as that armor's 1/day power is meant to operate much like the rogue's Uncanny Dodge ability, which means it can halve the damage delivered by an attack roll (weapon, melee or ranged, or even a spell attack roll); it's not meant to be able to halve all saving-throw-based incoming damage such as delivered by fireballs or breath weapons. Still, I haven't been clear on this, so I'm definitely halving the damage this time. (So Kal gets 13 hit points back.) I've reworded the armor's ability so that going forward, it's better understood. Cool?

Second, if Kal were to use one of the doses of his Potion of Growth, would that be of use to him in trying to break down the door? I know you said it's magically locked, but that it can still, in theory, be bashed down. Would being a Large creature (and having advantage on Strength checks) be of use in that situation?

It just does what the potion says. When making a Strength-based ability check (which most break-down-door rolls are), he'd get to have advantage on it.

Yes, even a magically locked door can be broken down; it's just much harder. Coordination is almost essential in this case. A flimsier door to begin with Melethos would already have been able to bash open on his previous roll. This one's sturdy!

[Darren]

Understood, Jeff, and thank you for making the exception for this one!

[Jeff]

Jul 15, 2019 12:23:25 GMT -4 Darren said:

Kal will move one square south and three squares east to be in front of the door. He'll drink a dose of the Potion of Growth. I'm assuming that takes up his entire turn. If not, he'll attack the door with his sharrash in an attempt to break it down.

Yup, it takes an action to drink a potion. So he can make the roll next round. But also, you're better off trying to shoulder-slam or punch or kick a door than use a slashing weapon like a sharash. Even a thick quarterstaff isn't good for that; bludgeoning weapons that are more than just a shaft are what you'd want to use (if anything) at all).

[Darren]

Understood. I assumed as much. If only Kal had some sort of giant maul....

Could he, in theory, pick up the brazier and use that to bash the door?

[Jeff]

Sure, it's blunt. It's also a big golden bowl, hot to touch (less so the "Histra" one that just got extinguished), and it's got a bunch of coal-like things inside it you have to decide whether you want to spill or not spill.

[Ken]

Belarin and his zombie minions might object to that. In theory.

[Jeff]

If Kal is Large sized, he can also pick up zombies or Belarin. They, too, can be made into blunt instruments.

[Ken]

Shorak has fewer hit points. Use him.

[Darren]

Let's be honest...if Kal was inclined to use anyone to bash down the door right now, it'd be Thul.

He's basically a blunt instrument anyway, right???

[Jeff]

But instant crit...

[Dave B.]

I'm considering a Sorcerer/Cleric for my next character, if Shorak doesn't survive.

[Brian]

We won't let him die. Just protect him until we can regain control of the battle.

[Ken]

Is Streko's Spiritual Weapon still active?

[Jeff]

Yes, but it only attacks when its caster makes it attack.

[Ken]

Jul 16, 2019 9:13:40 GMT -4 Jeff said:

The potion restores 4d4+4 (making it a potion of greater healing, but now you know that the other one is as well). That said, this was the roll:

• Shorak drinks the potion and regains 7 hit points.

If Shorak drank a 4d4+4 potion, shouldn't there be three more d4's?

[Jeff]

Are you trying to use the power of math on me?

Hah, yes! Duh. Not sure what I mistyped in my formula (maybe a missing #, same thing I did with the earth elemental's initial rolls this round). I'll try again and amend...thanks, Ken.

[Brian]

Darren, just have Kal try opening the door. That's a free action. If it's still locked, Kal and Mel can work at forcing it open by brute strength.

[Elvis]

Thul doesn't hear or see anything happening at the door, so he can't comment...

However, Jeff did suggest that something did happen when Joe cast his spell.