Completed Play-by-Post: In Search of the Sorcerer

[nikolokolus]

FYI

I updated the House Rules and Combat Cheat Sheet pdfs (in the first post) to account for the new grappling rule. I also modified the "Rule of d30" slightly. Instead of one 1d30 roll at each level that you can use, I made it cumulative -- 1 extra d30 roll at first, 2 at second, 3 at third. This should make them a little less precious a resource and give people more incentive to actually use them in play.

 

[Siveon]

Saving Throw: [1d20] = 3 + 4 = 7

 

[nikolokolus]

(Next Round)

Marcán's eyes are still wild with fear and he starts to struggle to his feet. Borric looms over him, poised to jump on him to keep him from harming himself.

A moment later Rhenmyr pokes his head out of the narrow chute. Two bright eyes and a thin white line of teeth look out from a face nearly black with dirt and dust and seconds later he pushes two items out of the hole -- a beautiful bronze round shield and a solid bronze spear with a stylized point that looks vaguely like a viper's head.

 

[Grimgravy]

Rhenmyr coughs a couple times. "I think we can go now. Uh, what's up with Marcán?"

 

[ERYFKRAD]

"The Bard was reminded of the hag he visited, I think."

 

[nikolokolus]

Perhaps it's the sight of the spear and the shield? But, Marcan looks over at the ancient objects as they clatter against the floor and he seems to regain a modicum of his senses.

Similarly, the chaos and terror of the tomb abates -- the tremors, and groaning noises cease and the tomb feels very still. Thick dust swirls in the in the air as Urash continues his muttering and scrawling within his grimoire, seemingly oblivious to Rhenmyr's arrival.

(Urash is going to need another 4-5 turns to wrap up his work. Everyone else may do as they wish. i.e. Feel free to talk among yourselves.)

 

[Grimgravy]

"That could do it." Rhenmyr smiles and drops into the chamber and retrieves his gear. Picking up the recovered spear and shield he asks, "What's Urash doing? Mage stuff? I'm sure Brule and the others will like to see these artifacts."

 

[ERYFKRAD]

"You look like a saur had you for lunch and spit you out, Ranger. What happened in there?"

 

[Siveon]

Spoiler

So, is a modicum of senses enough for me to talk or am I still in Call of Cthulhu mode?

 

[Grimgravy]

"The spear and shield were hanging 20 feet up from a carved pillar with wooden and stone sections. I thought they might rotate, but they wouldn't budge when I pushed on them. I managed to climb up to the relics using handholds between the sections. I thought the pegs holding them might be trapped, but it didn't look like they could move up if I took the items. The pegs went in! The pillar started rotating, and spun itself down causing a collapse. I barely made it out with the relics. Excellent engineering but really poor planning by the tomb builders, in my opinion. If in 1000 years someone needs to dig up my body to bludgeon the smirk of some jackass Hyperborean sorcerer's face with my femur, more power to them!"

 

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

Cormac makes his way to the group. "Is whatever happened over? Is anyone injured?"

 

[nikolokolus]

Spoiler

So, is a modicum of senses enough for me to talk or am I still in Call of Cthulhu mode?

Spoiler

You're back. I had a sudden realization I was veering into territory that might not be all that fair . . . In retrospect I think I goofed imposing a temporary insanity penalty that took control of your character away.

A far better solution would have been to make anybody who failed a wisdom check and then a saving throw suffer a -2 penalty to attack rolls and ability checks. My bad

 

[Siveon]

"Other than my pride? Well, Rhenmyr looks a little banged up." Marcán groans, scratching his head. "Cave must be getting to me. Are we to make our way outside then?"

 

[Grimgravy]

"Yeah, I took a nasty fall when the pillar started spinning."

 

[nikolokolus]

housekeeping

I need a quick status check on everybody's characters.

Please give me a quick run-down of your character's current hit points and any used spells. (I apologize. I seem to have lost track and I'm guessing each of you has more intimate knowledge of your own character).

Don't worry about consumables like torches and rations; the men sent by King Talorc carried 3 days worth of dried meat and hardtack, as well as 1 torch each and 3 bights of rope among them (also 10 iron slave/prisoner collars with a length of chain attached)-- anything you lost can be replaced without a visit to a village or town.

If you don't know your character's current condition, let me know and I'll try to look it up by going through the game thread.

EDIT:
I prefer a PM versus cluttering the game thread.

 

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

Cormac returns to finish his notes on Arawn. "I'm not sure what my bretheren would think of this."

 

[nikolokolus]

Cormac returns to finish his notes on Arawn. "I'm not sure what my bretheren would think of this."

(Cormac needs to roll a saving throw to decipher the runes and sigils on the Portal. It's worth noting that the weird figures, notes and arcane symbols that Urash is creating in his grimoire are some kind of translation of whatever he is interpreting from the portal, but they are definitely not identical and they make you nauseated when you try to look at them for more than a few seconds.)

 

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

Spoiler

He is studying it because it goes against the popular thought of his church, which would probably be a bit rattling to him

[1d20] = 6 vs 14 =FAIL

 

[nikolokolus]

Experience awards

Seeing as how things in the tomb seem to be resolving themselves, this is as good a time as any to hand out experience awards.

Rashid as a newcomer doesn't get as nearly as much, since he really only participated in the fight with the slaver. The tomb and the goings on in the village gives everyone else 700 XP. Then there are several bonus awards for various things (Urash scribing a new spell, Rhenmyr tackling the trapped hoard room alone, etc.)

Running total: (This includes whatever % bonus you are entitled to because of high ability scores.) If you have enough to go up a level then roll up hit points and let me know in a pm when you give me your character's status.
Borric - 3429
Cormac - 3157
Ker Gwez - 3502
Marcán - 3350
Rashid - 1869
Rhenmyr - 3957
Urash - 2625

By my reckoning, Urash, and Cormac are eligible to level-up.

 

[nikolokolus]

Spoiler

He is studying it because it goes against the popular thought of his church, which would probably be a bit rattling to him

[1d20] = 6 vs 14 =FAIL

For whatever reason Cormac fails to grasp the subtleties of the spell hinted at in the carved figures and heiroglyphs. You do understand that it is some kind of prayer mingled with deep and old sorcery.

 

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

Spoiler

He is studying it because it goes against the popular thought of his church, which would probably be a bit rattling to him

[1d20] = 6 vs 14 =FAIL

For whatever reason Cormac fails to grasp the subtleties of the spell hinted at in the carved figures and heiroglyphs. You do understand that it is some kind of prayer mingled with deep and old sorcery.

Spoiler

I'm sure most clerics would find this very disturbing, having sorcery mixed with a prayer coupled with the god they follow.

 

[nikolokolus]

Spoiler

He is studying it because it goes against the popular thought of his church, which would probably be a bit rattling to him

[1d20] = 6 vs 14 =FAIL

For whatever reason Cormac fails to grasp the subtleties of the spell hinted at in the carved figures and heiroglyphs. You do understand that it is some kind of prayer mingled with deep and old sorcery.

Spoiler

I'm sure most clerics would find this very disturbing, having sorcery mixed with a prayer coupled with the god they follow.

Spoiler

It's highly suspect. Your instinct is that it's probably some kind of heresy.

 

[L'ennui]

With the commotion settled down, Urash has resumed the transcription of the runes. His face seems tense with concentration, and he barely reacts to his surroundings.

 

[nikolokolus]

Urash spends another 50 minutes or so in deep concentration. Finally, with a satisfied sigh he shuts his grimoire and rises to his feet, brushing the heavy layer of dust from his hair and clothes..

(Do you all wish to leave the tomb now? Also who is carrying the spear and shield? and does anybody else have anything else they wish to do?)

 

[Siveon]

Spoiler

Well, I assume Rhenmyr would want to stick to his useful bow. So perhaps Borric or our Pictish friend would use the spear and shield. Marcán has the rope, so he's covered in terms of wolf slaying.