Chapter 20: Coming Dawn

[Dave W.]

May 21, 2021 7:37:04 GMT -4 Jeff said:

Brack calls the warforged over; even when he walks, he feels like he can could pitch over at any moment. "Keep your sight on the land wherever possible. It is a trick of the Hydra, nothing more. We are fine."

Adamant weaves his way over to the starboard railing and wraps a rope around his left arm. He periodically shouts out his best estimate on changes in the distance to shore, "We're maybe 10 feet closer on this side... yes, that's better..."

[Brian]

May 21, 2021 12:31:50 GMT -4 Ken said:

Belarin sits in the galley, making small talk with various members of the group. After a while, though, he sits down next to Melethos and says, "Pressure from your new horns?" he asks mischievously. More seriously, he says, "Are you all right?"

Belarin's words startle Melethos, who jerks his head up as if he's been roused from a dream. "What? Oh, yes. I'm fine. Just thinking." He looks around the cabin, his gaze eventually setting on his friend. "Since we left Sharn, we've run into danger. The farther we go, the worse the danger gets. Now we're about to start another leg of this journey, another step along that perilous road. The challenges will mount." He picks up a mug filled with water and swirls the fluid around, forming a small, ineffectual whirlpool. "We are like this water. And so is Krez, and Lamara. And the Twelve. And any host of others who seek the Eye. We're all being funneled to the same place. What happens when we all arrive?" Suddenly, he dumps the water on the floor. It splashes, droplets of water flying off in different directions. "That is what happens. We will face dangers on a scale we've not seen before. I do not fear the dangers." Here the tielfing's eyes darken slightly. "I fear what the dangers will make us do."

Then Melethos lifts his shoulders in a shrug. "The weather has given me too much time to think. I am not used to just sitting around."

[Jeff]

“You’re doing fine, first mate Adamant,” Brack says, letting out a laugh. Given the surging water and the bizarre warping of the river itself that makes it feel like the ship’s going uphill, the shifter’s mirth calms Adamant. If he’s not afraid, why should someone who knows less about ships

Then again, visibility has become abysmal. Brack slows down even more. The rain comes down in sheets and the winds are all over the place. Fortunately, the thunder has remained distant.

Minutes stretch on, and even below from time to time everyone is forced to reach out to stationary furniture to keep from sliding off their seats.

Then, early in the afternoon, Calirataia calls out from the bow. “Something is amiss!” She whirls around and then tree-strides through the wood and reappears next to Brack at the helm. “There is something ahead. We cannot anchor but we must turn immediately! It may be rocks.”

“Shit.” The ship starts to pivot, the paddle wheel beneath the stern doing the real work. Everyone on board can feel it’s vibrations...then it shudders violently. As if getting tangled up.

“Adamant!” the captain calls out. “Get back here!”

Everyone above and below feels the ship jerk suddenly, pitching violently.

[Joe]

Streko hears Calirataia's warning and grabs hold to the side of railing of the ship just as the first trembling lurch hits. He holds fast, lest he pitch over and impale the ship on one of his new armor's spikes. "That would be humiliating," he mutters. The violent spasms of the ship force the halfling to hold on tightly.

"Calirataia, what do you sense?" he calls out, hoping she can offer some answer to this predicament.

[Dave B.]

Shorak, alone in the cabin, feels the shifting in the ship and a voice calling from the deck above. He thinks it is a cry of warning and possibly Calirataia's voice. He steadies himself as best he can. Gathering his weapons, and the rope of entanglement, just in case, Shorak carefully makes his way up to the deck.

[Brian]

At the dryad's warning, Melethos makes his way carefully up the ladder* to the main deck. He has work at keeping his balance; the waves pitch the ship about as if it were a toy afloat in a river.

Wiping water from his eyes, he sees Adamant standing and hears the captain shouting for the warforged to move. He waits to see if his friend needs help.

[Dave W.]

Adamant nods at Brack’s call and starts moving as quickly as is prudent to the wheel. He moves from hand-hold to hand-hold... grabbing a railing or rope and moving from one to the other.

“What is it? Did we hit something?”

[Ken]

Belarin tumbles forward, his head narrowly missing a serious impact with the table in the galley.

He checks on Histra. "Are you all right? I'm going up to see what happened."

[Jeff]

I've mentioned those above and assumed (unless I was corrected) that everyone else was down below. That said, Streko appears to have been up in the foul weather. So all right, everything is strictly according to what you've posted above...

Above Deck

Streko, and soon Melethos and Shorak, are up on the top deck by the time that Adamant reaches the top of the stairs, coming at Brack's request. Right away he can see something is distracting the shifter and the dryad. Adamant sees something like vines—or seaweed!—has fouled up the paddle wheel. In fact, writhing plants have risen from the river itself and grasped hold of the entire back of the ship! If he didn't know better, he'd think this was Calirataia's druid-craft. But this looks hostile.

Below Deck

Histra gives Belarin an answering nod. "Go." She is concerned, but calm, slamming her book shut and reaching for her staff as if getting ready to join him.

Thul comes lurching out of his cabin. "What the hell is—?"

Before Belarin even starts up the ladder, one of the portholes on the starboard side of the galley verily explores. The thick glass has been punched in, and everyone in the room looks immediately over to see a monstrous face peeking in! It's no larger than a human's head, but certainly is no human. It is more piscine than human, with a mouth filled with sharklike teeth gaping open in a hiss. The face then vanishes, but is immediately replaced with a blue-gray arm reaching through the porthole; its digits are both clawed and webbed. It doesn't look like it should be able to fits its body through the small hole, but who knows what this is?

Kal, Tangat, and Sem are closest to the thing. Sem fairly stumbles out of his chair in terror at the sudden appearance of the fishy creature. But clattering noises from the other cabins reveals more of the things appearing at the portholes! Thul whirls around, clearly spotting one trying to get in or otherwise break a porthole in his cabin. Kal spots movement at the porhole in the cabin that Belarin and Histra share, just behind where he's been sitting!

Above Deck

Adamant can see that the writhing vines will take some cutting. But he can also see that if he gets too close, they may ensnare him!

At that moment, Shorak, Streko, and Melethos hear (but do not see) something making loud scrabbling noises near the front of the ship, starboard side. As if something were trying to climb up the hull! Even Histra's undead tauth, which has perched dutifully on the starboard side, has noticed and angles it body to look that direction.

Kurra, who has been busy with the rigging on the port side, turns to look as well. "Shorak, Melethos, someone check that out?!" she calls out with growing alarm, pointing toward the starboard bow. It's gotten so you have to shout to be heard clearly. The rain is coming down hard.

What do you all do first? Please remember what you know based on where you are. Those above know nothing about what's below, and vice versa.

Above deck, all movement is through difficult terrain (to maintain balance amid the rain and heaving deck). Below deck it is not (yet).

No Initiative roll just yet. Though that's likely coming soon.

Attachments:

[Dave B.]

Shorak draws his boomerang and looking intently at Melethos. "After you. I will watch your back." Assuming Melethos goes to investigate the noise, Shorak will follow, ten feet behind Melethos.

[Dave W.]

"I'm going to need a blade to deal with these vines*, even a dagger would do." Adamant calls back. "Though I suspect this will soon be the least of our problems? No trap would leave us immobile without a follow-up."

---

* I think, especially now that he has the hammer, Adamant would leave the glaive below decks.

[Darren]

"We are under attack! Get down to the hold!" Melethos hears in his mind.

Kal draws Skyfang and whirls quickly, bolts of fire lashing out at each of the three creatures attempting to make their way through the portholes.

_______________
Kal will cast Scorching Ray. One bolt on each creature.

Attack rolls are 21, 24, and 23.

Damage rolls are 9, 6, and 5.

(If Kal can't see the one east of Thul, he'll put two into the southern one.)

[Ken]

Belarin utters several guttural syllables and thrusts his hand toward the creature at the porthole! A purplish-pink hand manifests and flies across the galley at the creature.

__________________________

Belarin casts chill touch. Attack: 1d20(4) + 6 = 10. I assume that's a miss.

[Brian]

May 23, 2021 23:20:35 GMT -4 Dave B. said:

Shorak draws his boomerang and looking intently at Melethos. "After you. I will watch your back." Assuming Melethos goes to investigate the noise, Shorak will follow, ten feet behind Melethos.

Nodding, Melethos draws his sword and makes his way as quickly as possible toward the scrabbling noise.

______________________________________

Jeff, put Mel as far as you think he'd make it. I know we're not in turn-based mode (yet) so I don't know if move/dash works in normal time.

Sorry for not keeping up. StokerCon took just about everything out of me. I should be more attentive now.

[Jeff]

Below

Kal moves into a better position where he can at least see two of the creatures. Tangat jumps out of his way, giving him space, turning to take a defensive stance in the doorway of Belarin's cabin. Two of his fire-rays strike the arm reaching through the nearest window. The hand jerks back, badly burned. The one trying to push into Belarin and Histra's cabin breaks the class, but before it can snake any limb, it shies back as Kal's fire strikes it.

Belarin is quick to follow with a spell of his own, but the ghostly hand hits soundlessly into the wall inches from the porthole, missing.

Thul raises his right (normal) hand and the Hamer of Syndra appears there. He strides purposefully back into the cabin he just walked out of. Everyone in the galley hears the sound of shattering glass—it sounds like Thul is the one to break the porthole—but there is also a screech of pain.

Above

Melethos hurries, as safely and quickly as he can. The skeleton stands before him, carrying its bone-sword, and it turns to face the sound as well like some grim ally of the tiefling's ready to fight shoulder to bony shoulder.

That's when the tiefling feels warm lurch in his stomach as something big rises before him—a primal fear that triggers fight or flight, though for Melethos, there is no question which this will be.

Shorak and Streko then see a huge claw rise up from behind the gunwale, followed by flailing appendages like antennae and then monstrous spider-like legs. The largest crustacean pulls itself up over the side of the ship, and its weight bears the ship down somewhat, slanting the whole ship toward the starboard bow. In what daylight gets through the slashing rain, the great crab glistens a polished blue-green color. It would be pretty if it wasn't so menacing!

A second monstrous crab climbs up on the port side, almost amidship, looming over Kurra. Their claws are huge and look razor sharp. Already each has clipped a rope that falls away from the mast. The weight of the second crab, at least, has the ship rocking back the other direction. This second monster is not quite as large as the first—but both creatures are massive—nearly the size of adult dragons!

Calirataia lets out a call that sounds more like a battle cry than a scream. Somehow it grounds Adamant, for her voice carries no fear, just determination.

"Get THEM off the ship!" Brack bellows through the rain, including Adamant in this. "Calira and I will get us free."

Shorak and Streko sees Starg's horned head come into view from the open hatch near the bow. "Ohhhh," the minotaur says.

Though none below see the crabs, they feel the disturbing sensation of uneven weight upon two sides of the ship, and also the loud scrape of claws against the hull.

---

Thul's attack: 27 (hit) / 12 bludgeoning damage to creature behind porthole

Upper deck remains difficult terrain throughout.

The crabs are Huge in size, occupying a 3-by-3 space. For reference in the map below, the corner of said space is 1 square northwest of Adamant (the crab's claws are raised up and flailing about, so the spaces they appear to occupy only show their reach).

Round 1:

22 - Kal & Tangat
20 - Streko / Brack, Calira, Starg, Sem, Histra, skeleton, tauth
14 - Shorak
13 - Belarin
7 - Adamant
3 - foes!
1 - Melethos

Attachments:

[Joe]

Streko stares wide-eyed at the crab nearest him. He inhales deeply and, rather than calling out Olladra's name, he coughs up a vile wad of sputum and spits it at the crab. He spreads his arms and then calls to Olladra. He feels the sickness spread through and out of him in sickly green waves. It surrounds the crab and enters into it, suffusing it with a hideous disease that affects it almost immediately, eating at the monster with necrotic virulence.

"Adamant, brother, to my side if you can!"
_______________________________________________

Streko casts HARM on the crab nearest him. Crab needs to CON save or Necrotic damage → 43 hit points damage - 21.5 if successfully saved

[Dave B.]

"At least they're not undead." Shorak says as he takes a step towards Melethos and hurls his boomerang towards the monstrous crab threatening the tiefling warrior, putting more english into his throw. He knows that it will sacrifice accuracy, but it should cut deeper. "If we survive this. I want crab for dinner."

Move action: 1 square northwest.

Attack action: Ranged attack using the Sharpshooter feat: 1d20+10-5=24. Slashing damage: 1d6+5+10=19. Sneak attack damage: 5d6=27.

[Darren]

"Divide and conquer, friends," Kal says. "Thul, keep at that one. Belarin, Histra, take that one," Kal points south. "I'll contain this one," Kal says, pointing Skyfang at the arm coming through and releasing a bolt of fire towards it.

"Melethos, what's happening up there?"

______________
Kal will hold position where he is, but will cast Fire Bolt at the creature to the east.

Attack roll is an 8. Natural 1. Kal sets the hold on fire....

[Jeff]

Below

Kal's bolt of fire hits and scorches the edge of the doorway itself, going nowhere near his intended target. Tangat maintains his position.

Sem recovers now, rising to his feet and flinging a trio of magic missiles at the nearest creature behind the window. There is no missing with this spell, and the glowing darts hit. Histra follows Belarin's attack with her own flying spectral claw, but she, too, misses. Targeting a creature through a porthole is not easy.

You can hear Thul's attack but not quite see it. A crackle of energy and a thunk.

Above

Streko enacts his spell and the crab nearest him lets out a strange sound. The eye stalks and legs droop for a moment as the beast is hit with a wave of necrotic energy. It does not die, but the halfling can tell he's injured it severely.

Shorak's boomerang is perfectly thrown, slicing across the thinnest part of one of its claw-arms, then edges across one of its eyes!

Starg pulls himself up out of the hatch and into the rain, looking at the two monstrous crabs. He chooses the one in front of Melethos and with his orb casts a spell. An orb of swirling colors surges from his open palm and hits the creature, bursting in a small cloud of electricity. Kurra faces down the crab in front of her; it is not quite close enough to reach, but the dwarf claps something against the wand in her hand and a jet of poison sprays from the device into the crab's alien face.

Adamant sees Calirataia stride right over to the grasping vines. She sings out word druidic syllables, though he sees no immediate result. With the ship unable to pull free from the tangle, Captain Brack pulls the shortbow he keeps slung on his back, takes aim, and sinks two consecutive arrows into the softer parts of the port-side crab (near Streko and Kurra).

---

• Sem's spell deals 12 force damage to the galley-window creature
• Histra's spell attack misses
• Thul's spell attack vs. creature: 9 (miss)
• Thul's hammer attack vs. creature: 22 (hit) / 11 bludgeoning damage
→ Port crab's Constitution saving throw vs. Harm: 7 (failure) / 43 necrotic damage!
• Starg's spell attack vs. starboard crab: 26 (hit) / 24 lightning damage
• Kurra's spell attack vs. port crab: 26 (hit) / 14 poison damage
• Brack's shortbow attacks vs. port crab: 18 (hit); 17 (hit) / 9 and 7 piercing damage
• Shorak's attack deals 46 slashing damage to starboard crab

Upper deck remains difficult terrain throughout.

Round 1:

22 - Kal & Tangat
20 - Streko / Brack, Calira, Starg, Sem, Histra
14 - Shorak
13 - Belarin
7 - Adamant
3 - foes
1 - Melethos

Attachments:

[Dave W.]

Adamant realizes there's probably not much he can do about the vines without getting his glaive first, and the immediate threat would appear to be the crabs swamping the ship.

"I will be back," he tells Brack and Calirataia. He tries to move quickly to help Streko, but the ship's pitching complicates things. Halfway there he invokes the magic of his greaves to close the distance.

With hammer in hand he swings at the enormous crab.

---

Move Action: going half speed: 1SW, 2W
Bonus Action: Invoke dash from greaves : going half speed: 3W should put him snuggly close to the crab on that side.
Standard Action: Two attacks on said crab, I will assume it's not a giant in the mechanical D&D sense of the word:

dlw32: D20 + 8#firstattack → 11(3 + 8)
dlw32: D20 + 8#second attack → 13(5 + 8)

Both misses I presume.

[Passes Save vs Complain About Dice Roller check]

---

Constant Effects (provided Adamant is conscious):

• Aura of Devotion: Adamant and allies within 10' can’t be charmed.
• Aura of Protection: Adamant and allies within 10' gain +3 on saves.
• Aura of Courage: Adamant and allies within 10' can’t be frightened.
• Sentinel: Adjacent creatures provoke opportunity attacks even if they use Disengage.
• Sentinel: If an adjacent enemy makes an attack against a target other than Adamant, he can use his reaction to make a melee attack against that enemy.

Possible Reactions:

• Fighting Style Protection: An attack against an adjacent ally suffers disadvantage when Addy has his shield up. Adamant doesn't have the shield now.
• Sentinel: If Addy hits with an opportunity attack, the target's speed becomes 0 for the rest of the turn.

[Ken]

"Keep still, you festering krill!" yells Belarin at the creature, this time pointing his pact dagger forward. Now, shadows creep toward the creature even as the warlock again releases a spectral hand at the target.

____________________________________

Bonus Action: Belarin casts hex. The creature will take 1d6 extra necrotic damage from Belarin's attacks, and it has disadvantage on Strength ability check.
Action: Belarin casts chill touch. Attack: 1d20(14) + 6 = 20. Damage, with the bonus from hex: Belarin: 3D8 + D6#damage → 18( (5 +3 +8) + 2), all necrotic. The hand clings to the creature, which cannot regain hit points until the start of Belarin's next turn,

[Jeff]

Below

Belarin can see so little of the thing through the broken porthole but it's not fast enough to pull away from his sight, and the ghostly hand grasps it even though none of you can make out what the body really looks like.

• Creature takes full damage from Belarin's attack, and cannot regain hit points until the start of Belarin's next turn.

Above

Adamant's hammer, small though it is in his hand, still swings hard: it might do some damage at the right angle. But the crab is not staying still, and by the time he brings it to bear, the metal head glances right off the hard shell that suddenly lowers before him.

The great claws of the crabs, each larger than the entire length and width of Adamant himself, snap madly open and closed. The monsters are highly aggressive, and almost seem to be going after the main mast and everything attached to it: Each crab dedicates one claw simply in cutting the rigging nearest them; numerous ropes snap easily. Kurra curses at this, but if damage is kept minimal, the skilled artificer can surely handle reattaching ropes. But their other claws eager pinch at the pesky humanoids who've come forward to face them.

Melethos isn't ready for the sudden crash as the two halves of the massive claw close in around him. His shield is crushed right up against him and his armor squeals under the force—which is immediately activated with its store of displacement power. It is confusing to anyone looking on, where it appears that Melethos is being crushed by himself several feet away, while the claw itself contains only a blurred form; but the crab doesn't seem to care about that just now; it's squeezing something that squirms.

And, miraculously, the other giant crab (which is little smaller) reaches out with its great claw and it simply snaps into the air right above Adamant's head, missing the warforged by about four feet. 

The tauth launches itself from the side of the ship and harries the eyes of the great crab grappling Melethos, then flies up and on again. Histra's newest servant, the skeleton, runs with a rattling sound around where Melethos has been pinned down, launching a rapid series of attacks with its sword that does resemble some of Melethos's own style. The undead's weapon hacks right into some of the softer parts of the crab, and it rears up, almost dragging Melethos with it.

• Adamant's attacks miss.
• Starboard crab's attack vs. Melethos: 29 (critical hit) / 52 bludgeoning damage to Melethos and he is grappled (escape requires a Strength check DC 14)
→ Attack rolls against Melethos have disadvantage until the end of your next turn.
• Port crab's attack vs. Adamant: 1 (miss!)
• Undead tauth's attack vs. starboard crab: 22 (hit) / 3 piercing and 4 necrotic damage
• Skeleton's attacks vs. starboard crab: 24 (hit); 23 (hit) / 16 slashing damage

Below

The creatures behind the portholes are not easy to reach; Kal has had some success, as as Thul. Suddenly the one clinging by the closest window, though hexed by Belarin, sticks its face back into the porthole, and its piscine mouth peels back wide, revealing dozens of teeth and a disturbingly wide throat. Then a horrid screech issues forth, resounding through the galley and the cabins. The sound scours the air, but even when some of you reach to cover your ears, the noise echoes in your minds as well! A second later, another creature does the same, screeching like some alien being through the window, then the third.

Kal, Tangat, Belarin, and Thul all find their senses completely overwhelmed by the sound, so they cannot tell what is physical and what imagined; they are spinning inside their own minds, and it puts a haze over their perception of where they are standing. Some of the creatures pull away, out of sight, with only the galley-window one remaining.

Even those battling in the hard rain above deck hear the chorus of screeches, both muffled through the floorboards but also rolling up the sides of the ship on two sides. What the hell are those?

A few seconds later, Streko sees a wet humanoid and human-sized shape climb up beside the crab on his side. He can't make out much in the driving rain, but it's wearing clothes, possibly some kind of hat, and trailing vines?

• Galley-window creature emits a screech, forcing a Wisdom saving throw to all within 30 feet: Histra, Belarin, Kal, Tangat, Sem.
→ Histra's Wisdom saving throw: 19 (success)
→ Belarin's Wisdom saving throw: 21 (success)
→ Kal's Wisdom saving throw: 12 (failure) / Kal is stunned until the end of the creature's next turn
→ Tangat's Wisdom saving throw: 4 (failure) / Tangat is stunned until the end of the creature's next turn
→ Sem's Wisdom saving throw: 25 (success)

• Cabin-window creature emits a screech, forcing a Wisdom saving throw to all within 30 feet: Histra, Kal, Tangat.
→ Histra's Wisdom saving throw: 22 (success)
→ Kal's Wisdom saving throw: 16 (success)
→ Tangat's Wisdom saving throw: 7 (failure) 

• Cabin-window creature emits a screech, forcing a Wisdom saving throw to all within 30 feet: Thul, Sem, Belarin.
→ Thul's Wisdom saving throw: 2 (failure) / Thul is stunned until the end of the creature's next turn
→ Belarin's Wisdom saving throw: 8 (failure) / Belarin is stunned until the end of the creature's next turn
→ Sem's Wisdom saving throw: 14 (success)

Stunned:

• A stunned creature is incapacitated (cannot take actions or reactions.), can't move, and can speak only falteringly.
• The creature automatically fails Strength and Dexterity saving throws.
• Attack rolls against the creature have advantage.

Round 1:

22 - Kal & Tangat
20 - Streko / Brack, Calira, Starg, Sem, Histra
14 - Shorak
13 - Belarin
7 - Adamant
3 - foes
1 - Melethos

Attachments:

[Brian]

May 25, 2021 15:25:02 GMT -4 Jeff said:

Melethos isn't ready for the sudden crash as the two halves of the massive claw close in around him. His shield is crushed right up against him and his armor squeals under the force—which is immediately activated with its store of displacement power. It is confusing to anyone looking on, where it appears that Melethos is being crushed by himself several feet away, while the claw itself contains only a blurred form; but the crab doesn't seem to care about that just now; it's squeezing something that squirms.

May 24, 2021 21:30:46 GMT -4 Darren said:

"Melethos, what's happening up there?"

Kal hears a blood-curdling scream inside his head, a sound he's never head Melethos utter before. It sounds like a man who's dying.

Blood sprays out of Melethos's mouth as the giant crab squeezes the life out of him. The metal bands of his armor dig painfully into his skin. If he hadn't been wearing it, he'd likely have been shorn in half. At least his sword arm wasn't pinned to his body.

Blinking water from his eyes, Melethos sees that his only target is the large claw grasping him. There's no way to get closer to the monster's body. He calls up the familiar anger, the red rage, of his heritage. Swinging the blade, he hacks at the crab, his weapon biting deep. He twists the blade, running it roughly across the hard chitin, then hacks down again. Then, with a whisper and a gesture, flames engulf the crab!

_______________________________________

Movement Action: Nope

Standard Action: Melethos attacks the crab twice with his sword

Melethos: repeat 2D20 + 9#two melee attacks against the crab → 25; 17(16 + 9);(8 + 9)

Melethos uses a Superiority Die on a Distracting Strike. The next attack by an attacker other than Melethos is at advantage.

Melethos: D8 + 5 + D10#slashing damage from first attack with superiority die addition → 22(8 + 5 + 9)
Melethos: D8 + 5#slshing damage from second attack → 12(7 + 5)

Reaction: Melethos casts Hellish Rebuke at the crab. Someone summon the Butter Elemental!
Melethos: 3D10# fire damage from hellish rebuke → 14(4 +8 +2)

[Jeff]

Melethos's sword does some real damage to the giant claw; chitin cracks and the monster grunts; the suddenly wreathing of fire adds insult to injury, and for a moment, just a moment, there is a pleasant, roasted crab scent in the air...

But this thing isn't going down yet.

---

→Starboard crab's Dexterity saving throw vs. Hellish Rebuke: 21 (success, half damage) / 7 fire damage

Remember, those of you who are stunned can at least "speak only falteringly," should you choose.

Round 2 begins:

22 - Kal & Tangat (stunned until end of creatures' turn)
20 - Streko 
20 - Brack, Calira, Starg, Sem, Histra
20 - Thul (stunned until end of creatures' turn)
14 - Shorak
13 - Belarin (stunned until end of creatures' turn)
7 - Adamant
3 - foes
1 - Melethos

[Joe]

Moving ahead of Kal and Tangat shouldn't be an issue here.

Streko sees that the crab nearest him still lives and now, something else is coming near. Streko points at both the newcomer ands the crab and calls out "BEGONE!"
_____________________________________________________

Streko uses a 5th level spell slot and casts Banishment on both the injured crab and the new adversary. Charisma saving throws needed for both of them.

[Dave B.]

Shorak lets fly with his boomerang at the crab holding Melethos in its claw, again adding more english and spin to the throw.

Note: Rolling with advantage, but if Starg or someone else attacks it first, then only the first roll counts. Which is fine, since the second roll isn't needed for the advantaged attack, anyway.

Advantaged ranged attack with Sharpshooter feat vs. crab attacking Melethos: 1d20+10-5=18; 1d20=10-5=6. Slashing damage: 1d6+5+10=18. Sneak attack damage: 5d6=13.

[Jeff]

I'm waited a bit to see if any of the stunned people choose to attempt to speak "haltingly," but I'm not seeing anything so I'm skipping past Kal's turn then.

Below

Tangat whines loudly and drops into a ball on the floor at Kal's feet.

"Sem, go see what's happening top-deck!" Histra says, virtually shoving the gnome. Then she strides right up to the galley porthole and fires a ray of frost straight into its body, though most of it cannot be seen.

Sem hurries up the ladder . . .

• Histra's Ray of Frost vs. creature: 28 (critical hit) / 11 cold damage and its speed is reduced by 10 feet until the start of Histra's next turn

Above

"Ah, uhh, bigger monsters!" the gnome cries when he stands from a crouch at the top of the ladder, standing near Shorak. "Giant CRABS!" He immediately flicks a trio of magic missiles at the one Adamant is fighting.

Shorak’s boomerang again harries the great crab clutching Melethos, cracking shell.

And then, with a word and a gesture of power, Streko calls on his deity to banish two of his foes. In an instant, the great crab in front of Adamant simply vanishes. The strange humanoid beside it, however, does not. Instead a head that's more barracuda than human hisses in defiance. Adamant doesn't know what to make of it; it's not as bulky as a sahuagin, and in fact wears a semblance of clothes. Yet the thing seems to be trailing a profusion of kelp-like appendages from its body.

The ship dips again in the direction of the remaining giant crab.

Brack curses and whirls a different direction, completely ignoring the useless wheel of the ship at this point. He looses two arrows at something else.

Calirataia has moved among the tangled vines, which begin to writhe around her, though none grasp at her. The plants are at least responding to whatever it is she's doing.

Starg conjures another Chromatic Orb and throws it against the very limb that now grasps Melethos. It bursts into an explosion of electricity, which burns the monster even more; Melethos even feels a tiny pulse of the energy through the crab's body but it doesn't harm him.

The skeleton continues its attack, bloody itself and the deck with continual slashes at the great crab's belly. From the animalistic grunts and sputters of the monster, Melethos think it's truly wearing down now from the abuse. The undead tauth, meanwhile, continues to wheel around the ship, where it snaps at something at the edge of the stern, whatever it is that Brack was shooting at.

---

• Sem's Magic Missile deals 9 force damage to port-side crab.
→ Port crab's Charisma saving throw vs. Banishment: 1 (failure) / Banished for 10 rounds or until concentration ends
→ Unknown creature's saving throw vs. Banishment: 16 (success)
• Brack's shortbow attacks vs. newcomer creature: 19 (hit); 27 (hit) / 7 and 9 piercing damage to creature
• Starg's spell attack vs. starboard crab w/ advantage: 15, 9 (hit) / 16 lightning damage
• Skeleton's attacks vs. starboard crab: 16 (hit); 17 (hit) / 13 slashing damage
• Tauth's attack vs. creature: 21 (hit) / 4 piercing damage

Round 2 continues:

22 - Kal & Tangat (stunned until end of creatures' turn)
20 - Streko
20 - Brack, Calira, Starg, Sem, Histra
20 - Thul (stunned until end of creatures' turn)
14 - Shorak
13 - Belarin (stunned until end of creatures' turn)
7 - Adamant
3 - foes
1 - Melethos

Attachments:

[Dave W.]

Adamant swings at the crab and it vanishes. Turning back to Streko, he moves quickly to intercept the barracuda-man. "Thank you Streko, that was helpful. I assume we can expect the crab back in a while?"

Meanwhile,Adamant engages the humanoid. "We really would rather if you just left us in peace." He tells the creature between blows.

---

Move Action: 2E
Bonus Action: none
Standard Action: Two attacks on said Sphyraena-sapien,

dlw32: D20 + 8#firstattack → 10(2 + 8)
dlw32: D20 + 8#secondattack → 13(5 + 8)

Umm-hmmm…

---

Constant Effects (provided Adamant is conscious):

• Aura of Devotion: Adamant and allies within 10' can’t be charmed.
• Aura of Protection: Adamant and allies within 10' gain +3 on saves.
• Aura of Courage: Adamant and allies within 10' can’t be frightened.
• Sentinel: Adjacent creatures provoke opportunity attacks even if they use Disengage.
• Sentinel: If an adjacent enemy makes an attack against a target other than Adamant, he can use his reaction to make a melee attack against that enemy.

Possible Reactions:

• Fighting Style Protection: An attack against an adjacent ally suffers disadvantage when Addy has his shield up. Adamant doesn't have the shield now.
• Sentinel: If Addy hits with an opportunity attack, the target's speed becomes 0 for the rest of the turn.

[Ken]

Belarin half-leans, half-falls against the wall, scarcely able to move his limbs. "Fuzzy ... fuzzier.. than normal," he says, staring at Histra with unfocused eyes. "Fighting ... past it."

_________________________________

Warlock be stunned. Because he's incapacitated, he loses concentration on the hex spell.

[Jeff]

Dave, that second swing is a hit. Can you roll the damage? I think it's fair to say that unless you roll less than a 10, there's a chance you're going to hit some monsters. Remember: most monsters are easier to hit than you are.