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The Matriarch's Chamber, Dolinar Tomb, underground...
The Matriarch's Chamber, Dolinar Tomb, underground...
Darkness enshrouds the room, except for strange, swirling soft lights that emanate from a large sarcophagus at the far end of the chamber. The massive structure has its lid half-removed, and the illumination up-lights a monstrous creature that stradles the coffin, staring into it.
It's a hideously mutated woman, three times the size of a human, yet her head remains the same. Her arms and legs seem amputated in that they've been morphed into uncanny spear-like appendages.
The Monster's face is stained with rivers of tears that have flowed unendingly, and indeed continue to flow as it turns slowly to watch the three heroes enter the chamber.
PRESTO
(his lantern cutting through the gloom, but catching the hideous form, and face, of the creature)
PRESTO
(his lantern cutting through the gloom, but catching the hideous form, and face, of the creature)
O-ohhhhh ... oh my god...
GM says:
GM says:
Roll for INTELLIGENCE plus any backgrounds in monster lore or the occult, hard check.
PRESTO
PRESTO
⬙ (2) + INT (3) + Level (5) + Chosen champion of the Dungeonmaster (5) + Sorcerer's Apprentice Hat (2) + Arcane Heritage (10) = 27
PRESTO
PRESTO
It's a Sorrowsworn! She's been, basically, so sad that this place twisted her into-- *that!*
DIANA
DIANA
Presto! The sarcophagus! That light! We gotta see what that is! A bet it's the Cr-
ERIC
ERIC
CRAP! What are those?! Blades!? In the dark!?
Eric nimbly steps aside, as the floor is riddled with steel blades that jut upward several inches, making a scattered, deadly obstacle course.
SORROWSWORN
(in a voice barely more than a raspy whisper)
SORROWSWORN
(in a voice barely more than a raspy whisper)
Woe! Oh, woe! Come? Come, weep with me?
The monster moves in short, jerky movements, like a giant insect. Those watching it recoil instinctively. She scrambles and sidles using both her pin-like spindly arms and her legs. She stands for a heartbeat, warily judging the heroes, then moves inexorably toward them.
GM says:
GM says:
But first, roll for Initiative.
ERIC
ERIC
⬙(7)
+ Initiative (9) = 16
PRESTO
PRESTO
⬙(1)
+ Initiative (8) = 9
DIANA
DIANA
⬙(3) (or 7)
+ Initiative (9) = 16
Round ONE
Round ONE
ESCALATION DIE = 0
SORROWSWORN
SORROWSWORN
Woe!
Eric manages to put himself in front of the creature's ungainly, yet quick, scramble toward them. Even the monster must pick its way through the field of blades.
Movement check ⬙(12) + Monster level (7) = No damage
ERIC
ERIC
Ye-uck! Get away get away get away!
Intercept! ⬙(13) + Melee Attack (10) + Escalation (0) = 23
vs Sorrowsworn's AC = 23
Damage 1d6 (1) + 10 = 11
The gigantic monster looms over Eric as it jabs at him with her lance-like arm!
⬙(5) + Harpoon Arms (12) = 17
vs Eric's AC = 26
Miss Damage = 7
SORROWSWORN
(breathing its threat)
SORROWSWORN
(breathing its threat)
Weep!
DIANA
DIANA
I'm going to make it to the sarcophagus. Presto, stay out of its way! Let's go, heroes!
⬙ (5) + DEX (4) + Level (5) + Former gymnastics protégé (5) = 19
Battlefield Danger = 10 Damage
Diana dances a Dance of Heroes as she crosses the room, but as she does, she knicks and cuts her legs from the blades.
DIANA
DIANA
Damn it! These blades! Hang on...
(fishing out a healing potion from her side back, she pops it open and swigs)
Gah! I hate these things.
Recovery ⬙ 5d8 (23) + 6 + 2d8 (5) = 34, full recovery
ERIC
ERIC
Yeah, great plan. Gr-rrreat plan!
⬙(2) + Melee Attack (10) + Escalation (0) + Smite (4) + Dance of Heroes (2) = 16
vs Sorrowsworn's AC = 23
Miss Damage = 5
THUNK! Eric's shield mildly bumps up against the monster's form. It's eyes flash as tears fall.
PRESTO
(staying transfixed)
PRESTO
(staying transfixed)
gotta gather power gotta gather power gotta gather power
Round TWO
Round TWO
ESCALATION DIE = 1
SORROWSWORN
(her human-sized head nearly touching Eric's, even as her body dominates over him)
SORROWSWORN
(her human-sized head nearly touching Eric's, even as her body dominates over him)
Let us cry together.
⬙(17) + Harpoon Arms (12) = 29
vs Eric's AC = 26
Damage = 30 + Eric is grabbed
ERIC
ERIC
Aaaaaa!!! That... makes me cry, yeah...
DIANA
DIANA
Holy---, Eric!
Sustain Dance of Heroes ⬙ (1) = No. Final verse. Damn.
Diana reaches the sarcophagus, clutching onto its sides as she casts her eyes about the dark room. The light from within illuminates her face.
DIANA
DIANA
Guys! There's something glowy in here-- Yes! The Crevise! The Crevise of Dusk is in the coffin!
GM says:
GM says:
Roll for WISDOM plus any backgrounds in dungeoneering, perception, awareness etc., normal check.
⬙ (18) + WIS (1) + Level (5) + Chosen champion of the Dungeonmaster (3) = 27
⬙ (18) + WIS (1) + Level (5) + Chosen champion of the Dungeonmaster (3) = 27
DIANA
DIANA
And, hang on, there's like a mechanism or something over here. I think it's for the blade floor!
PRESTO
PRESTO
(gotta gather power) Pull it! (gotta gather power gotta gather power)
Uncertain, Diana hesitates for a beat, then throws a lever. A loud creaking sound erupts from the room, and the blades quiver, then sink back into the floor, leaving it clear.
ERIC
ERIC
Well, that's... some... improvement...
(still locked in an embrace with the Monster, he pounds his shield against its form)
⬙(18) + Melee Attack (10) + Escalation (1) + Smite (4) + Dance of Heroes (3) = 36
vs Sorrowsworn's AC = 23
Damage 1d6(6) + 10 + Smite damage bonus (17) = 33 +
Vecna's Charm of the Eldritch Eye = 15 damage
PUSHING IT ⬙(4) + Melee Attack (10) + Escalation (1) + Smite (4) + Dance of Heroes (3) = 22
Damage halved = 24 total
Disengage check ⬙ (13) = Pops free
Eric's blows do little to faze the creature, until his left hand flares with the withering energy of Vecna's curse. The Sorrowsworn recoils slightly, allowing Eric to slough off it's piercing embrace.
With the battlefield clear, Presto manuevers closer to Diana and the giant coffin, reading to pull from his magic hat.
PRESTO
PRESTO
"Roses are Red-ed,
Violets are Blue-ed,
Whatever this is,
Let it be goo-d!"
Random energy ⬙ (1) = Cold
PRESTO
PRESTO
A giant snowball?
DIANA
DIANA
Throw it! Throw it!
Presto rolls the giant snowball like a bowling ball, and it grows as if picking up mass to create an avalanche, smashing into the back of the monster.
⬙(12) + CHA (4) + Level (5) + Escalation die (1) + Dance of Heroes (3) = 25
vs Sorrowsworn's MD = 17
Damage = 52 + CHAx2 (8) xGathered Power = 120 cold damage
Round THREE
Round THREE
ESCALATION DIE = 2
SORROWSWORN
(her head, then the rest of her lumbering body, turns toward Presto)
SORROWSWORN
(her head, then the rest of her lumbering body, turns toward Presto)
Woe is. . . you.
Without advancing, the Sorrowsworn's arm shoots forth, elongating across the room to snag Presto.
⬙(3) + Harpoon Arms (12) = 15 SOOO lucky!
vs Presto's AC = 20
Miss Damage = 7
PRESTO
PRESTO
Ahh! It clipped me!
DIANA
DIANA
Eric! You're popped free! Can you make it over here?
ERIC
(slightly backing away and wiping his eyes before breaking out in a run and crossing the room)
ERIC
(slightly backing away and wiping his eyes before breaking out in a run and crossing the room)
Don't have to tell me twice!
DIANA
DIANA
Jump! Jump in! Presto, go! I'll hold until you're in!
Eric leaps in the sarcophagus with a yell. Diana dashes in front of it, as Presto scurries a short distance, flopping ungracefully into the coffin with a "Whoa-aaaah!"
SORROWSWORN
(visibly weakened as the boys disappear)
SORROWSWORN
(visibly weakened as the boys disappear)
Gone... all gone... again. All alone.
DIANA
DIANA
Yeah, well, ain't we all.
Flipping backward, Diana launches herself into the Crevise as the Sorrowsworn collapses into wrecked sobs.
continued in 3.13 Montage & Interlude. . .
GM FOOTNOTES:
Not happy with the grabbing rules as written. A simple disengage check is all that is needed, just as any disengagement from any other normal interaction? Why have "grabbed" as a condition, then? Seems like it should be a skill check or a "counterattack" attack action of some kind.
I made this one a difficult Battle Intensity. With a single monster facing them, that makes it a triple-strength monstrosity!
BATTLE INTENSITY, Hard/Double:
(3 Champion PCs @ 3-Battles/Level Up) needs 3 Monster Equivalents of 7th Level (i.e. Party Level (5) + 2)
Therefore
1 triple-strength monster of 7th Level = 3 Monster Equivalent
I built the Sorrowsworn myself, using the Baseline Stats for Monsters. I'm not sure I did it right. There are no examples given for guidence, and comparing triple-strength monsters among themselves and the baseline shows no consistency. Anyway, I gave the main ability a lower rating than the baseline by giving it its level in miss damage. And I gave the psychic attack a lower rating assuming from the grabbing rules that the monster inflicts half damage automatically to its victims. Still, overall within 3 hits it could do enough damage to murder someone outright, so I was nervous.
But, that said, it was underwhelming. The heroes got REAL lucky with low rolls from the monster. And maybe I had my thumb on the scale by having Diana beeline to the coffin and realize the crevise was inside it. Visually, it makes sense as it's the brightest thing in the room, but there's little incentive to stick around to battle the monster! Without anyone grabbed, some simple movement's all that's needed to get around it.
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