We Join This Battle Already in Progress (Part Four)

The battle continues.  I now present Round SIX of combat against the dreaded Jabberwock!

If you missed them, here are links to the first three posts in this series:

Part One: https://beekaydubya.blogspot.com/2018/04/we-join-this-battle-already-in-progress.html
Part Two: https://beekaydubya.blogspot.com/2018/04/the-batle-rages-on.html
Part Three: https://beekaydubya.blogspot.com/2018/04/we-join-this-battle-already-in-progress_5.html





- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  - -  - -  - - - -

DAY THIRTEEN (December 11th), 8:11:36 am

Shadow, feeling much recovered after both clerics have tended to him, focuses on the Jabberwock once more and plunges back into the battle.  He wills the Thunderlance to extend to its maximum length once more as he closes in.  The Jabberwock sees the dark elf coming and once again snaps at him with its powerful jaws, rending flesh with its jagged teeth.  Shadow’s conjured shaft of force once again warps on contact with the monster but a thrust with the phoenix-blessed blade hits the monster just above the ridge of its brow. 

Kysek sticks the vorpal blade into the ground, quickly raises one hand, points it at the Jabberwock and then slowly drags his finger across his throat, silently casting a spell that will ensure his next blow strikes true.  He snatches up Bedlam while concentrating on his summoned hand, trying to pull the Jabberwock’s head forward to expose its neck.  The hand pulls on the monster, but the Jabberwock hauls it around like a plaything, scarcely slowed by the strength of the mystical energy construct.  The elf curses under his breath, frustrated by his inability to draw the beast in close enough for a strike.

Grotto swoops down and lands beside Korbin.  The talking crow is still shaking off the crushing hit he just suffered as the scarred dwarf lays hands upon him.  A shouted prayer to Hanseath, beseeching him to heal the bird’s wounds is answered and life energy flows into Korbin’s battered body, mending his injuries so he can return to the battle.

Seeing the Jabberwock’s healing at such a rapid rate, Drax weaves his fingers in a mystic pattern over one of his shortswords while chanting the word “Ninsusinak” over and over again.  The magic settles in over the blade, harnessing the power of death itself to keep any wounds inflicted by the weapon from healing.  With the spell in place, the assassin disappears into the shadows and moves into position to strike.

Morn touches his eye and then points at one of the Jabberwock’s while calling upon the same arcane spell Kysek used to prepare for his next attack.  The bard lashes out with his whip and his aim is true.  The glowing-silver whip snaps the Jabberwock directly in the eye, eliciting a howl from the monster but even so, fails to injure the beast.

The Jabberwock, beset by enemies on all sides, burbles.  Nonsensical words and phrases, strange noises, and discordant sounds clash and echo through the woods.  The sound waves wash out over the entire party save Kysek who is shielded inside the sphere of silence emanating from his shortsword Blackflame.  Once again, everyone except for him and Shadow are felled by the ringing cacophony.  All drop to the ground, insensible once more except for Arthur, whose shield holds him aloft and Cedron who is carried to a gentle landing by the Witching Cloak.

Raven’s gauntlet continues to send wiry copper tendrils questing up his arm, digging through muscle and entwining itself around his nerves, veins, and tendons.
= = = = = =

• Extended Haste (20 rounds remaining) – everyone except Grotto and Shadow

• Prayer (4 rounds remaining) 

• Arthur: 38% health; STUNNED

• Bubo: 100% health;

• Cedron: 100% health; Displacement (5 rounds remaining); STUNNED

• Drax: 100% health; Cursed Blade (9 minutes, 9 rounds remaining); STUNNED

• Grotto: 75% health; Fly (5 minutes, 4 rounds remaining), Protection from Evil (5 minutes, 5 rounds remaining); STUNNED

• Hansuke: 63% health; STUNNED

• Korbin: 61% health; STUNNED

• Kysek: 96% health; Displacement (1 rounds remaining); Bigby’s Grasping Hand (+27 Attack/+32 Grap, 120 hp, 7 rounds remaining); Stoneskin (100%, 59 minutes, 5 rounds remaining)

• Morn: 74% health; Inspire Courage (+2 save vs charm/fear, +2 attack/damage, 1 rounds remaining); STUNNED

• Niklas: 100% health; STUNNED

• Raven: 83% health; Enlarge Person (2 minutes, 6 rounds remaining, Nightwatcher 2d6+20), Bull’s Strength (14 minutes, 7 rounds remaining); STUNNED

• Ra’ziir: 72% health; Iron Body (24 minutes, 6 rounds remaining, DR15/adam, +6 Str, immunties); STUNNED

• Shadow: 35% health; Overland Flight (14 hours, 59 minutes, 3 rounds remaining); Stoneskin (80%, 149 min, 5 rounds remaining); Thunderlance (11 rounds remaining, +22 hit, 2d6+8 damage); Darkness (199 minutes, 8 rounds remaining)

• Spewer: 100 % health;
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

OH NO!  The Jabberwock has laid out most of the party with its burbling attack.  What will happen next?  How can our heroes possibly prevail against so fearsome a foe?  Tune in next time and find out!

Comments

Post a Comment

Recent Posts

Smoke Powder Golem

Image
Smoke Powder Golem                                     CR13 (Original drawing of Smoke Powder Golem)   A Smoke Powder Golem is a blending of technology and the divine magic of Gond created to serve as temple guardians.   On average, the golem stands 12’ tall and weighs 8,000 pounds.   The smoke powder golem resembles the more common Iron Golem except its right arm has been replaced with the thick barrel of a bombard.   A large “backpack” has been built onto the golem and contains the ammunition for the golem’s cannon (internal magazine of six shells).   Firing the cannon causes the next shell to automatically, move into the firing chamber.   The golem smells of oil and sulfur.   N Large Construct Init: -1; Senses: Listen +0, Spot +0 Languages: Understands the langua...
Read more

Beldam (Other Mother from Coraline)

Image
I watched the movie “ Coraline ” for the first time this weekend.   Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen snippets of the film here and there over the years and I recognized the character when the movie started but I have never sat down and Watched the movie (or read the book).   By the time the show was over, I have to admit that I was fascinated by the entire thing.   The animation and pacing were incredibly well done and the main antagonist was delightfully wicked.   This is who I want to focus on today – Beldam, a.k.a. the Other Mother.   Some viewers may think that she was some sort of demon, offering children their heart’s desire in exchange for their souls, much like a crossroads demon but I feel like she more closely resembles a faerie, a member of the Unseelie Court who is allowed a great deal of independence in her operations.   I also think that since the protagonist, Coraline, was just a child that Beldam wouldn’t necessarily have been overly power...
Read more

The Magic of Mario-World Power-Ups for D&D

Image
Not so very long ago, one of my kids suggested that I write a blog post about using the Power-Ups from the Mario Brothers franchise.   Now, to be honest, the last Mario game I played was Super Mario 3 back whenever it came out but I thought, “Sure, why not?”   Well, it turns out that the number of Power-Ups has expanded exponentially in my almost 30 year absence.   Seriously, at the time of this writing, there’s like SEVENTY-NINE different ones available and that doesn’t even touch on the banana peels from Mario Kart. That said, instead of trying to stat out all of them, I’m just going to focus on the ones from the Super Mario Brothers game and call it good.   These include the Super Mushroom, the Fire Flower, the Invincibility Star, and the 1-Up Mushroom.   That’s it.   If you want the Penguin Suit, the Raccoon Suit, or a Yoshi, look somewhere else because I’m not going to cover those here. The Super Mushroom is pretty straightforward. ...
Read more

The EM-50 Urban Assault Vehicle

Image
1976 GMC Motorhome Palm Beach model 26' Crew: 4     Passengers: 19 Cargo: 425 lbs.* Init: -4 Top Speed: 60 (6) - approximately 35 - 40 mph Defense: 6 (-4 size) Hardness: 10 SZ: G (8' wide x 26' long x 10' high) Purchase: 45     Restriction: Mil (+3) * each unused passenger slot allows the vehicle to carry an additional 100 lbs. of cargo. • 6 wheels with reinforced tires • Communications: High-Range Radio, Compass, GPS, Night Vision (via driver's periscope) • Back of vehicle opens for assault ramp Armaments: • 7.62mm Machine Guns (x2, forward arc) • Flamethrowers (4/side, fire-linked, over rear wheels) • Light Tank Gun (rear arc) • Rocket Rack (roof-mounted, retractable, 6 rockets) Despite performing well on its one and only (unauthorized) mission , the prototype EM-50 was decommissioned and flown back to the United States and placed in storage at the Sierra Army D...
Read more

A Horse By Any Other Name (Part 6)

Image
One Month after the Summer Solstice (Seventh Moon, 1000 ALB) Ra'ziir follows along beside Foil Hat, "What makes you think this 'Abacus' knows anything about planar travel?" The conspiracy theorist replies, "Oh, he's a wizard, knows all kinds of things about conjurations and summonings. If he doesn't have your answers, he'll probably know who to ask." "My little ponies!" Grotto winnies, "The confection shop is this way! How can we expect to confront this unknown on the word of the paranoid pony? We should surely go to this confectionery and get some information from another source. Are we to trust this one only because it was the first we encountered? More information is needed! We should fill our bellies, get reliable corroborating information there! Are we to blindly trust this one to lead us to a trap in the vulnerable state we are in?!" Grotto insists. "Plus that is where these phillies are!" Grotto thinks to ...
Read more

🎶 🎶 He's a Were-House 🎶 🎶 (to the tune of "Brick House")

Image
One of my players recently tagged me in this picture, more or less daring me to see what I could come up with. There are already other versions of this concept out there (I really like this one ). I know that larger versions of Mimics exist and I could convert them to whatever edition of the game we are playing but that would be cheating and doesn't fit the "spirit" of the post. This is what I came up with... Faizard Skitterbrook the Were-House CR: 3     Medium Humanoid (Human/Shapechanger) HD: 3d4    Hp: 8 Init: +1     Spd: 30' AC: 11 (+1 Dex), t: 11, ff: 10 or 15 (+1 Dex, +4 Mage Armor spell) Attacks: (BAB+1/Grap +1) ; +1 Staff: 1d6 (20/x2) or +2 Light Crossbow: 1d8 (19-20/×2, 80') SA: Arcane Spells (CL3; DC12 + spell level; 4/3/2); Improvised Weapons SQ: Transformation Align: CN    Saves: Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +4 Str: 11, Dex: 13, Con: 11, Int: 15, Wi...
Read more