Part 5: Return to the Moathouse Ruins

With the warrior priestess standing her ground against the undead horde (at this point, horde seems to be the accurate description), Eltrezar hangs back a little longer. He provides light for the Halfling and the silent warrior, but begins working his way back to the stairs. Ahem! "To the stairs, Maloria! We need to use a chokepoint. Save your stubbornness for another time!"

OOC:

Eltrezar is moving back until the Man-at-Arms is just within the light of his lantern.

Jun 20, 2021 5:49 pm

Understanding now what the plan is, Mal nods in agreement to Eltrezar and pulls back at top speed as soon as she is able.

Jun 21, 2021 4:26 pm

Eltrezar retreats towards the stairs, keeping not only the Man-at-Arms within illumination, but also Gilly remains withn the edge of his lantern's light.

Following the others, the Man-at-Arms rushes after those retreating upstairs.

The two zombies continue to chase after Maloria and Gilly, closing the distance on them, but because they ran to get to them, they are unable to attack this round, Meanwhile another if the undead emerges from a cell.

OOC:

Round 6 ends; Round 7 begins! Turn order is as follows:
--> 1. Bors (6)
2. Angel, Maloria (4)
3. Gilly, Eltrezar (3)
4. Man-at-Arms (1)
5. Zombies (1)

Entering this Round, we have Bors, Angel, and the Man-at-Arms upstairs.

Still downstairs we have Maloria, Gilly, and Eltrezar (I have the Man-at-Arms on both maps because he's currently at the top of the stairwell.

It should be noted by @KCC69 and @dominion451 that while the two undead have closed the distance to melee range on their PC's, they have not actually engaged in melee combat yet because they used their turn to make a full run last round. Therefore, nobody is currently in melee, and if either PC wants to back away towards the stairs, they are not required to make it a Fighting Retreat (at 1/6 their Movement Rate) unless they opt to attack the zombies first (thereby engaging in melee) and then back way.

Rolls

Angel Initiative roll - (1d6+1)

(3) + 1 = 4

Gilly Initiative roll - (1d6+2)

(1) + 2 = 3

Eltrezar Initiative roll - (1d6-1)

(4) - 1 = 3

Maloria Initiative roll - (1d6+1)

(3) + 1 = 4

Bors Initiative roll - (1d6+1)

(5) + 1 = 6

Man-at-Arms Initiative roll - (1d6)

(1) = 1

Zombies Initiative roll - (1d6)

(1) = 1

Bors

nezzeraj

Jun 22, 2021 12:17 am

Bors will take up a defensive position at the top of the stairs to protect the others as they come up, with a readied action to attack the first zombie that comes in range.

Jun 22, 2021 5:00 pm

Bors moves to the head of the stairwell and awaits any oncoming enemies. Because of the narrowness of the stairwell, and the small size of the storage room, Angel can't really get a good shot at anything coming up the stairs without Bors providing it cover, so he waits where he is just outside the room.

OOC:

Round 7 continues! Maloria is up. A reminder that while the zombies before her are in melee range, melee hasn't actually started yet, so if she opts t retreat, she is not required to make a Fighting Retreat maneuver, and can either tack an action and move at 1/3 her MR of 60', or she can make a full run at her full MR...

1. Bors (6)
--> 2. Angel, Maloria (4)
3. Gilly, Eltrezar (3)
4. Man-at-Arms (1)
5. Zombies (1)

Jun 22, 2021 8:32 pm

Mal turns and runs after her companions at top speed, aiming to make it to the stairwell and block the walkers from coming up after her companions.

KCC

Jun 22, 2021 11:51 pm

Gilly trundles after her, breathing heavy once she reaches the top, and the light.

Eltrezar the Medium

cowleyc

Jun 23, 2021 1:42 am

With the last of the party up the staircase, Eltrezar moves to a position just behind everyone, holding the lantern high to illuminate the otherwise dark staircase.

Hrmph! "Bors, Maloria, take the front. We shall slay these abominations as they shuffle into our bastion. Arrows and daggers seem to be all but useless here, so be sparing!"

Jun 25, 2021 6:53 pm

OOC:

So where are you thinking the choke point is at for these zombies? At the head or the stairwell, or are you thinking at the storage door where the Giant Rats were slain?

Eltrezar the Medium

cowleyc

Jun 25, 2021 11:15 pm

OOC:

The way I saw it was at the head of the stairwell, where we would have some form of upper ground. Make it harder, even if just in roleplay, for the zombies to fight back.

Jun 26, 2021 12:15 am

The Man-at-Arms makes his way to the corner of the storage room. The staircase, being only 5' wide, makes for a bottleneck which draws the undead attackers into a single file arrangement at the top of the steps, where Maloria waits with Bors directly behind her. Because the zombies ran to keep up with the fleeing adventurers they cannot engage in melee with Maloria, but one of them is directly adjacent to her, but down a few steps, and the dwarf sees the other one following right behind.

OOC:

Round 7 ends; Round 8 begins. Turn order is as follows:
--> 1. Gilly (8)
2. Angel, Maloria (4)
3. Bors, Man-at-Arms (2)
4. Eltrezar (0)
5. Zombies (3)

The Storage Room the characters are cramped inside is tiny, and very much less than ideal for hand-to-hand combat (or any other type of combat, for that matter). Barely able to all fit inside this room, there's almost nowhere to move around. Those making ranged attacks are unable to see any undead until they make it to the top of the staircase and enter the small room properly at Q11, which is all but impossible with Mal blocking the stairs and Bors standing at the top of the staircase right behind her. As it is, unless she moves aside (basically requiring her to leave this tiny room) only Mal can actively attack the zombies using melee attacks, and no PCs can get a shot on the zombies using ranged attacks due to the angle of the staircase going down, and bors blocking the way behind the cleric.

Rolls

Angel Initiative roll - (1d6+1)

(3) + 1 = 4

Gilly Initiative roll - (1d6+2)

(6) + 2 = 8

Eltrezar Initiative roll - (1d6-1)

(1) - 1 = 0

Maloria Initiative roll - (1d6+1)

(3) + 1 = 4

Bors Initiative roll - (1d6+1)

(1) + 1 = 2

Man-at-Arms Initiative roll - (1d6)

(2) = 2

Zombies Initiative roll - (1d6)

(3) = 3

KCC

Jun 26, 2021 2:34 pm

OOC:

I hope we can avoid mice part 2!

Gilly shuffles out, between the legs of her companions. So this is what they heard at night…

She’ll move to the back and give the others some space!

"Maybe bring them out here so we can all clobber them?!" she shouts, sure that everyone is probably too preoccupied to hear!

Jun 26, 2021 8:09 pm

Listening to Gilly's suggestion, Angel clears out of the Storage Room as well.

OOC:

I have Gilly at T9 and Angel at T10 for the time being. Round 8 continues with Turn order as follows:
1. Gilly (8)
--> 2. Angel, Maloria (4)
3. Bors, Man-at-Arms (2)
4. Eltrezar (0)
5. Zombies (3)

Jun 28, 2021 3:06 pm

Mal turns at the top of the stairs and thrusts out her holy medallion once more.

"Back hellspawn! You have no power here!"

Rolls

Turn check (1hd=7, 2hd=9) - (2d6)

(33) = 6

Turn HD - (2d6)

(44) = 8

Jun 28, 2021 4:58 pm

The party's pursuers show little interest in Mal's medallion this time and prepare to attack the Cleric. But first, lacking an angle where he can get a shot off on one of the zombies with his bow in this tiny room, the Man-at-Arms steps out of the Storage Room and draws his longsword.

OOC:

Round 8 continues. Turn order is as follows:
I have Gilly at T9 and Angel at T10 for the time being. Round 8 continues with Turn order as follows:
1. Gilly (8)
2. Angel, Maloria (4)
--> 3. Bors, Man-at-Arms (2)
4. Eltrezar (0)
5. Zombies (3)

I really hate that this melee is in the stairwell, to be honest. The fact that one map has it as being 5' wide, while the other one has it as being 10' wide was just mildly annoying, but easy enough to ignore until the party decided the stairwell was going to be the location of the entire module's zombie battle. This entire Storage Room is a knife fight in a phone booth, really...

KCC

Jun 28, 2021 11:42 pm

OOC:

Bringing them out into the open where we can see them without torches might help! And we can spread out! Archers can get their shots off!

Jun 29, 2021 5:38 am

OOC:

Mmmmm... Choke point. So nice.

Eltrezar the Medium

cowleyc

Jun 29, 2021 5:54 am

OOC:

Can Mal hold off the zombies while Eltrezar runs off and kills five hundred and fifty four (and a half) wild boars to gain the XP necessary for Fireball? Just brainstorming.

Bors

nezzeraj

Jun 29, 2021 6:17 am

OOC:

I agree that the map is a little disorientating. Bors is just going to stab whatever comes up the stairs within reach. Let me know whenever I need to roll and I'll make one.

Jun 29, 2021 2:49 pm