The Dungeon of the Rotting Scales

[Dace]

OOC: Basically we can't really go into the room and hold them off; what's their incentive to come in after us if they can just sit there and bide their time? They can easily wait us out.

On the other hand, I don't think we could last against them forever in the corridors.

Secret exits at the back? Get the Dwarf to mine us out?


Dace sighed. "If I spoke their tongue, I'd put their gear on and tell them it was all over."

He tapped the Drow's horn with one boot. "Shame we can't use this somehow."

Wishing he'd spent the time putting on the Drow's armour now, he cocked the hand-crossbow and waited just inside the room, preparing to step out and fire it. With a group like that, he ought to be able to hit one...

[Cathmhaol]

OOC: We could retreat to the room, kill as many as we can until they get bored and then barricade the door and wait until Zeric can rest and learn an area affect spell then resume the attack. <breathes> The risk we take is that they mass enough troops in the meantime to absolutely slaughter us...

OK, how about this? We aggressively take the fight to them, with Cathmhaol and Rumbleskin in the lead. We want to push them back the way we came so we're moving back to an area we know and have explored. Delora and Dace to form the rear flank and the others to use spells and ranged weapons to pick off any targets of opportunity (and or apply the coup de grace to any drow we've trampled overfoot on the way out...) A sort of rolling maul...?

[Dungeon Master]

I doubt Ill have chance to run the combat today, so you have until tomorrow - unless I have any good space.

[Rumbleskin Ironeater]

OOC: The rolling maul sounds good to me... Do we have anyone who could cover our heads with a shield of some sort?

Do any of the casters have any ability to protect us from missile fire at all? or, in fact, any way to distract the drow?

[Dungeon Master]

oneeyedpete said:

OOC: If I read that right, if we fight them in the corridor, we leave ourselves open to magic attacks from the drow. One alterative is to fall back to the room and invite them onto us, limiting the numbers of drow who can attack at any one time.

OOC- not necessarily but the drow do carry missile weapons which was the point I was making. Plus they have innate abilities, which the others seen when you were fighting in the picture. Even in the corridor, all 12 of the drow may be able to attack whether by missile weapons or spells or innate abilities.

The reason Im giving you a long time to think about this is that by mistake Rumpleskin has led you into drow territory. Its going to be a difficult and rather long battle.

So plan carefully. Look at what resources you have, use things to your advantage (including potions and spells) and I will be giving xp for ideas and good RP. Also its not a leap to assume more may be on the way.....

[Rumbleskin Ironeater]

OOC: I'd like to go on record to say 'It's not my fault'! - but I don't hink I'd get very far

If it's any concelation, Rumbleskin really did just think it was a walk to the throne room...

Anyhew, how to get out of this...

Grasping at straws #1: Can one of the spellcasters ward the door to the room we are in?

Grasping at straws #2: Is there anything on the bodies we have slain in this room that we can use?

[Dungeon Master]

OOC- Treasure post

Coins:
Copper 110
Silver 1197
Gold 702
Platinum 1

ON ship
Other:

5 rolls of silk

Sacks 5
- Sack (40): Green peas (Dried)
- Sack (39): Rye (Corn)
- Sack (38): Millet (Corn)
- Sack (37): Old, disheveled clothing, splattered with blood
- Sack (36): 5 pairs of old shoes

Crates 4
- Crate (27): Clary (Spice/Seasoning)
- Crate (26): Green peas (Dried)
- Crate (25): Clary (Spice/Seasoning)
- Crate (5): Liquorice root (Spice/Seasoning)

Barrels 3
- Barrel (34): Buckwheat (Flour)
- Barrel is empty
- Barrel (49): Molassas (Sweetner)


Carried

Zeric
A false hand, solid and unjointed, made of silver, with crescents of ivory as nails
A scroll tube,carved in ivory with gold-plated metal end caps containing a scroll with some writing on it
A black ebony wood wand inlaid with gold leaf design
A Quaterstaff made of ash topped with a skull

Cath
Medium shield made of metal
a small bag of black powder
A heavy stone hammer with a rare sunwood handle and its grip wrapped with remoharz leather

Dace
A longsword with eagle design
2 hand crossbow and 40 bolts in two quivers
Suit of chainmail in black

Delora
Shiny Scale mail

Unclaimed
Helm with garnet
4 rapiers (drow design)
2 hand crossbows (drow Design)
3 chain shirts (drow designs)
ziose (100gold gem according to Bregl)
silver hammer for gem working
black and white gemstone


This may help

[Cathmhaol]

OOC: Does Zeric know what his magic items do? What's the black powder - is it 'black powder'?

[Dungeon Master]

OOC- Zeric has used his two scrolls, so he now has an empty scroll case.

OOC: Does Zeric know what his magic items do? What's the black powder - is it 'black powder'?

you dont know what the black powder is. But it may be safe to assume its similair to real world "black Powder" as guns are considered magical weapons in the Realms.

he has a slight idea not a full idea

[Cathmhaol]

OOC: I'm getting this pan-dimensional thought occuring to me... Claymores... ....*

Does anyone among the party know how to use it? Does Cathmhaol for that matter? How much have we got?




_{*Yeah, I know. Black powder 'burns' rather than 'explodes' so the chances of building a homemade Claymore aren't great...}

[Zeric]

oneeyedpete said:

OOC: I'm getting this pan-dimensional thought occuring to me... Claymores... ....*

Does anyone among the party know how to use it? Does Cathmhaol for that matter? How much have we got?




_{*Yeah, I know. Black powder 'burns' rather than 'explodes' so the chances of building a homemade Claymore aren't great...}

OOC: Not necessarily... pack it in a bag full of coins, caltrops and daggers and anything sharp (the ladies' hairpins, maybe) and run a fuse to it. It will explode, rather than burn if it's in a confined space with enough shit packed around it. Paul, you're the chemistry brain - is that right?

I vote for holding them at bay in the room, although the plan to surprise them by charging them in the rolling maul does have a certain inelegant brutality to it... Um, as for spells... I got:

Arcane Mark, Daze, Detect Magic, Disrupt Undead, Light, Mage Hand, Read Magic, Burning Hands, Magic Missile, Summon Monster 1

Once I rest, I get WEB... Any ideas on the best use of them would be appreciated...

I got an idea, Drow are sensitive to light, aren't they? Zeric could send out a globe of light once they are in the doorway. It may actually stun them for the first round?

[Rumbleskin Ironeater]

OOC: Yup, Light should help us as well as hinder them, so that gets my vote

Can burning hands be combined with mage hand? - If so, that could be fun

Also, could now be time for the monster summoning?

At the moment, I am torn between holing up in the room and trying to go back the way we came...

If we make a stand here, the drow *should* only be able to come at us perhaps six at a time through the doorway - 2 fighting side by side and the other 4 casting or shooting at us... Better odds than all 12 at the same time.

Also, staying in the room, all of the drow will be infront of us and we do not have to protect the rear so much - also the one remaining drow in here is going to take precious seconds to deal with too...

On the other hand, if we stay, they could just bring up more reinforcements and keep us here indefinitely and wearing us down gradually...

I guess, right here and now, the room is more defensible - it should also allow time to prepare the little bag of black powder should we wish to do so.

Sense says stay in the room... the glory seeking charge of the daft brigade side of me says go for the maul in the corridoor...

[Dace]

OOC:

My vote is have Zeric summon monsters against the northern lot, us lot charge the southern lot. We wade through them and fight our way back the way we came, fighting a retreat.

Thing is, if we hold up in the room, four Drow can easily keep us there as long as it takes them to come with reinforcements. If we don't move, and now, we die.

[Rumbleskin Ironeater]

OOC: As you put it that way, that makes sense...

Monster Summoning to slow down those coming from the North, Light directly above us and then anything else available to harass / slow down the rear echelons.

Cath and Rumblie take the front line against the southern group and try and rush them back to the turning...

I was hoping to leave this as a 'surprise', but as it will have an impact on planning: I have one barbie rage available to me for the 'day' and would suggest that I use it when Rumblie gets to the corridoor... (Only problem is breaking the rage after the enemy is down... but that's another issue )

[Dace]

OOC:

If we chuck up the light as a surprise, then whilst they react the monster summoning goes against the north lot. Simultaneously those who can bundle into the southern lot.

Then any missile fire directed against the northern lot whilst the attack is pressed against the southern lot.

The aim is to break through that southern lot whilst anything we can hurl northward is done so.

I guess

*Technically* we have a better chance of getting away if we hit the northern lot, as they haven't quite reached the junction yet, meaning we can bundle them and some of us slip past. But it's better, I reckon, to push past them the way we came.

Also, how the hell did we miss the southern lot when we came that way, eh? Nightmare.