The Pod-Caverns of the Sinister Shroom (Game Thread VII)

[Jerrard]

Jerrard does his best to fix his bow, using a cantrip if he has to.
"I have some magic left, if I can keep calm, I will try." He shudders thinking of the Shroom, how could he face it? He had to, this creature had to be stopped.

"We attack from range, hitting the Shroom first, he is a magic user, we need to stop him casting any spells, as a group we cannot take on that many Podmen, thus we have to keep them at range."

[JadedDM]

(OOC: The tunnel is twenty feet wide, and the pool only ten feet wide. It can be easily enough bypassed.)

[Breila]

Babushka looks at the situation again and then comes back to the group.

"OK then, my sling needs the most space. I will go to one side of the pool, and you two" - she gestures to Locky and Jerrard - "should go to the other. We attack the shroom first, then the podmen, until we either run out of ammunition or someone comes and charges at us. Does that sound good?"

[Jenara]

"That sounds good to me!" Locky responds with her usual cheerfulness, grinning widely, this would be fun, the Shroom looked so funny.

She waits for the others to walk on, then leads, her hoopak ready, the shiny stones in her hand.

[Jerrard]

"It is agreed." Jerrard pulls a scroll from his pocket, "I considered using this, but the risks are too great, I do not have the power."

Returning the scroll to his cloak he instead pulls a spell to his lips, ready to attack the Shroom.

[JadedDM]

After Ulster fixes the bow, he says, "What about me? What's my job? I can't hold this torch and fire a bow at the same time," he points out. "Only got two hands."

[Breila]

"Oh, yes! I didn't think of that. I'd suggest that you keep the torch until Jerrard has fired the magic attack, then hand it over and use the bow. This way, it might be easiest for Jerrard to overcome his fears.
Is that OK with you?" Babushka looks at the two men earnestly

[Jenara]

"That is acceptable." Jerrard replies, "I would use my sword once my spells are gone, thus holding the torch will be fine."

He looks on. "Shall we go?"

[Breila]

Babushka nods. "We shall.
Please give Locky and me some time ahead, we can sneak along both sides of the pool and begin attacking them when they notice the light of your torch and are distracted from us. And we'll remember to attack the shroom first, the podmen only when they advance on us and block the shroom."

[Jenara]

"Come on then!" Locky says with a cheerful smile, heading to the cavern she keeps her Hoopak in her hand, stones in another.

[JadedDM]

While Ulster and Jerrard remained behind with the torch, the two girls sneaked forward in the darkness, their infravision allowing them to see just fine. Quiet as mice, they made it back to the pool and could see that the Shroom and his guards were still oblivious to their presence.

======================

Locky attempts to move silently (1d100): 36, pass.
Babushka attempts to move silently (1d100): 13, pass.

Enemy's Surprise Roll (1d10-4): 3, the enemy is surprised.

Surprise Round!

.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.
.X.X.X.p.S._.p.X.X.X.
.X.X.X._._._._.X.X.X.
.X.X.X._.1.2._.X.X.X.
.X.X.X._._._._.X.X.X.
.X.X.X._._._._.X.X.X.
.X.X.X._._.w.w.X.X.X.
.X.X.X._._.w.w.X.X.X.
.X.X.X.L._.B._.X.X.X.
.X.X.X._._._._.X.X.X.
.X.X.X.X._._.X.X.X.X.

X – Wall
S – Sinister Shroom
w – Water (pool)
p – Hanging pod
1-4 – Podmen
L – Locky
B – Babushka
U – Ulster
J – Jerrard

Jerrard and Ulster are not shown on the map, as they are still off-screen with the torch, waiting for the girls to go first. Podmen 3 and 4 are still in their pods.

[Breila]

Once she is withing firing range of her sling, Babushka lays down the (still limp?) fungus staff close to her feet, but so it can't roll into the pond. She takes out a few stones and starts firing at the shroom.

1d20=14, 1d4=1, hits AC 3

[Jenara]

(ooc: Wooo Hooo!)

Locky enters at the same time as Babuskha, letting two of the small stones she found in the pool fly from her Hoopak.

Attacks: 1d20+5=25, 1d20+5=18 Hit AC -7, and 0 - Critical on the first)

Damage: 1d4+1=2, 1d4+1=3 2 & 3 damage + Crit so Extra roll 1d4+1=4 (10 dmg overall)

[JadedDM]

Babushka and Locky let loose their rocks, but find that the two podmen standing guard are blocking their line of sight to the Shroom. Babushka's stone glances off the shoulder of the second podman, and Locky's two stones strike the first one with extreme force--possibly breaking a bone or two, if the podmen even have bones.

The only way they'll be able to hit the Shroom from where they are now is if the podmen move, fall, or if the girls get much, much closer so they can fire around the podmen.

Instantly alert, the Shroom shouts, "Get them! Get them now! I'm not ready yet!" The two guards prepare to move forward, the two pods begin to open up, and the Shroom instantly begins chanting in the spidery tongue of magic.

==================

Babushka attacks with her sling (14) and hits Podman 02 for 1 damage.
Locky slams her hoopak into the ground and fires a stone (25, critical hit) for 5 damage and a second one (18, hit) for 4 damage at Podman 01.

Round 1!

Party's Initiative (1d10): 3
Enemy's Initiative (1d10): 8

(Party wins.)

.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.
.X.X.X.p.S._.p.X.X.X.
.X.X.X._._._._.X.X.X.
.X.X.X._.1.2._.X.X.X.
.X.X.X._._._._.X.X.X.
.X.X.X._._._._.X.X.X.
.X.X.X._._.w.w.X.X.X.
.X.X.X._._.w.w.X.X.X.
.X.X.X.L._.B._.X.X.X.
.X.X.X._._._._.X.X.X.
.X.X.X.X._._.X.X.X.X.

X – Wall
S – Sinister Shroom
w – Water (pool)
p – Hanging pod
1-4 – Podmen
L – Locky
B – Babushka
U – Ulster
J – Jerrard

[Breila]

Babushka continues firing stones at podman 2 with her sling.

1d20=16, 1d4=1, hits AC 4

(ooc: has the fungus staff stiffened yet?)